


Bring Me That Horizon [A Star Wars sequel trilogy AU inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean]

by Rey_KnightofRen



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Solo is Elizabeth Swann, F/M, Forbidden Love, Historical Fantasy, Magic, Pirates, Rey is Will Turner, Supernatural Elements, reylo romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 125,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rey_KnightofRen/pseuds/Rey_KnightofRen
Summary: Although Benjamin “Ben” Swann lives in a lavish mansion in 1700s Port Royal, Jamaica, his lifestyle feels more like a prison than a privilege. He envies the sailors (and secretly the pirates) who come and go from Port Royal, as free as the sea itself.He’s also secretly in love with Rey Turner, a blacksmith’s assistant. Ben met Rey when they were both children, and though he can’t imagine giving his heart to anyone else but her, his uncle Luke Swann, governor of Jamaica, has other plans for his future.While Rey has a far less romantic view of pirates, she and her friend Rose Tico are forced to team up with down-on-his-luck pirate captain Poe Dameron and his first mate Finn to rescue Benjamin Swann after Ben is kidnapped under mysterious circumstances.Rey soon finds herself in the midst of a dangerous high-seas adventure and discovers her own family’s surprising ties to piracy. She also uncovers supernatural forces lurking in the dark depths of the ocean that could change not only her own life, but the entire world...
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 80
Kudos: 75





	1. The Medallion

_ **Part I** _   
_ **Daughter of the Sea** _

**Chapter 1: The Medallion**

_~ Prologue ~_

Benjamin Swann leaned against the railing of the British military ship the _HMS Supremacy_ , staring out across the endless blue waters of the ocean and relishing the feeling of the brisk, salty breeze blowing through his wavy black hair. For the first time in his life, he was going on a real, proper adventure, and he was going to enjoy every damn minute of it, even if he wasn’t thrilled by the new responsibilities that awaited him when he arrived at his destination. 

“Benjamin, please be careful — you’ll fall off the ship if you lean too far over the railing!” his uncle Luke called out to him. 

Fighting back a heavy sigh, Ben did as he was ordered. He wasn’t afraid of a little danger, but at this moment it wasn’t worth arguing with his uncle Luke. He was always amazed by his uncle’s seemingly supernatural ability to sense when Ben might be doing something he shouldn’t. 

Luke Swann had just been appointed governor of Jamaica, and he’d invited his nephew to come with him and serve as his aide. 

At first, 15-year-old Ben was excited by the prospect of a long ocean voyage, even if it meant spending a lot of time with his occasionally grumpy uncle Luke. However, he was less thrilled by beginning a career in government. Ben would much rather join the Royal Navy and spend his life on the seas, but his family was eager to steer his future in a different (and safer) direction. In the end Ben had consented to go to Port Royal not because he’d had a change of heart about a political career, but because he wanted to make his mother proud. 

Although he loved them fiercely, Ben had fought with his parents more and more often as he got older, and after the tragic death of his father, Ben was sincerely trying to build a better relationship with his mother, Leia. Leia seemed to think that going to Jamaica with Luke was a good choice for his future, and so Ben would do this for her. His mother had suffered enough already; Ben would not bring more sorrow upon her by breaking her heart. 

The Swann family had been brought down in London society by a number of scandals in the recent past, and Luke’s appointment as governor was an unexpected offer of redemption from the crown. Ben knew that running off to join the Navy against his mother and his uncle’s wishes right now would not help the family’s standing in society — even if he knew the call of the sea would haunt him for the rest of his life. He’d taken on the Swann family name rather than his father’s, which only added to his complicated feelings about his heritage.

A shadow fell across the deck of the _HMS Supremacy_ , and Ben glanced up and saw clouds gathering overhead, obscuring the sun. The air grew thick with fog, and the captain called for the ship to slow its pace. 

“I can’t see a damned thing through this bloody fog,” one of the sailors muttered as he passed by Luke and Ben to secure the rigging. 

Luke frowned. “Take care that you don’t pick up any bad habits from these sailors,” he whispered to Ben. “Their coarse language can be quite shocking sometimes.”

Ben simply nodded, deciding it was probably better not to confess to his uncle that he’d already heard most of these “shockingly coarse” words before, when he’d sneaked off to the tavern with his best friend Armitage, who happened to be the son of the _HMS Supremacy’s_ captain, Brendol Hux. 

As Ben peered through the heavy fog, he saw a dark shape floating in the water near the ship. Luke spotted it soon after he did, and this time he didn’t lecture Ben as the young man leaned over the railing to get a closer look. 

Ben felt an eerie chill slither through him as he realized the floating object was no ordinary ocean flotsam...it was a trunk from a passenger vessel. 

“Shipwreck ahead!” one of the sailors called out, and soon everyone on board the _Supremacy_ was rushing to the deck to take a look. 

Broken boards were scattered across the water, and although the sailors were ordered to keep a look out for survivors, the wreck had occurred at least a day ago and there was unlikely to be anyone left alive.

Ben felt a tightness in his chest as he stared at the debris-laden waters, a grim reminder that the sea could be a cruel mistress: a place that inspired both awe and terror as it gave and took away, based on its own whims. 

“I think we should go below now,” Luke said quietly, trying to steer Ben away from the railing, when something new caught Ben’s eye. It was a small raft floating on the water, and there was a small body huddled on it. He couldn’t tell whether it was an adult or a child, but he did see their chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

“Help! Over here — I’ve found a survivor!” Ben cried out, pointing frantically to the raft. “Hurry!”

The sailors pulled the raft from the water onto the deck, and as Luke went to fetch the ship’s doctor, Ben knelt beside the drenched form. It was a young woman, dressed in a black cloak and a plain gray dress. Her brown hair was pulled into three tight buns on the back of her head, an unusual hair style for a young lady on a passenger ship. He had no idea who she was, where she was from, or where she was going, but he was grateful the _Supremacy_ had passed by when it did, and saved her from the sea. 

All of a sudden, the girl gave a violent cough and her eyes fluttered open, and she and Ben’s gazes suddenly locked. No one had ever stared at Ben so intently before, and he couldn’t look away. 

“Who are you?” she rasped, her throat sore from going so long without water. Ben pulled out his water canteen and gently poured some in her mouth. 

“I’m Benjamin Swann. You’re on board the _HMS Supremacy_ , bound for Port Royal, Jamaica.”

“I’m...I’m Rey Turner,” she managed to get out before passing out again. 

By now the ship’s doctor had arrived, but not before Rey’s hand fell open and a silver medallion fell out.

Ben wasn’t sure why, but he had the sudden urge to grab the medallion before the doctor or his uncle could see it.

“She’s a strong, young lass — she’ll be all right if we get her some food, water, warmth, and sleep,” the doctor proclaimed, enlisting the help of a sailor to carry her belowdecks. “She’s lucky indeed we came along when we did.” 

Ben wanted to follow them, just to make sure this mysterious girl was all right, but his uncle gave him a disapproving look and subtly shook his head. 

Frustrated, Ben watched them carry Rey out of his sight, and then once Luke’s back was turned, Ben glanced down at the silver medallion resting on his palm. 

The medallion was actually a coin that had been turned into a necklace, but it was like no coin he had ever seen before. Some artisan had spent a painstaking amount of time etching a picture into the silver on one side of the coin. The scene depicted was an old man flanked by a young woman and a young man, with their left hands raised in the air and their palms facing outwards. Ben had no idea what this symbolism meant, but he had a feeling it was significant. No one would spend this much time carving a coin with such a strange image for no reason. 

As he rubbed his fingers over the metal, he felt an odd sense of uneasiness, as if this coin carried many secrets even Rey herself might not know. He almost thought he heard faint whispers in his mind as he stared at the coin, but he was certain it was only the wind. 

He realized he’d never looked at the other side of the coin, and as he turned it over, he immediately felt like someone had punched him in the gut. 

On the other side of the coin was a skull and crossbones — a pirate symbol. 

He immediately closed his fist and shoved the coin deep inside his pocket. This was a dangerous possession to have, and Ben feared what his uncle and the captain would do if they found out the young woman they’d just rescued had possible ties to piracy. 

Although Ben knew the safest option would be to simply toss the necklace into the ocean, where it would never be seen again, he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Instead, he’d keep it hidden for Rey until it was safe to give it back to her.

The fog in the air was finally beginning to clear, and the _HMS Supremacy_ sailed into smoother waters, leaving the shipwreck behind them. Ben couldn’t resist staring back once more into the fog, and for the briefest of seconds, he felt as though his heart had frozen in his chest. 

In the mist, he thought he saw a flutter of a ragged black sail, and a flash of a flag with a skull and crossbones. But when he looked again, he saw nothing but the swirling fog, and the _HMS Supremacy_ sailed on to Port Royal without further incident. 

***

_Ten years later..._

Ben woke to the sound of pounding on his bedroom door and he immediately groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow and pulling the sheets up over his head. 

He knew exactly what this was all about, but he wasn’t yet ready to face it, and so he’d pretend to be asleep for as long as he could. 

“Ben? Ben!” 

He could hear his uncle Luke calling to him, the older man’s voice becoming increasingly concerned. “Can you hear me? We cannot afford to be late to the ceremony! Are you almost ready?”

“Yes, I hear you,” Ben grumbled and finally forced himself to open his eyes. Sunlight poured in through the crack between the drapes hanging over his window, and he could tell it was going be a gloriously beautiful day in Port Royal, the kind where the sun sparkled on the water and made the rich green vegetation appear so saturated with color and life that it almost didn’t even look real. He wanted to spend the day exploring; instead, he’d be attending an official ceremony at the fort.

Today his friend Armitage Hux would be commissioned as a commodore in the British Royal Navy. Ben was happy to support his friend (even though he was secretly envious and still wished he could join Hux in the Navy). However, he was NOT looking forward to the mingling and smalltalk after the ceremony itself, especially since Luke supposedly had a young woman of “particular distinction” that he felt Ben should meet. 

To Luke, “particular distinction” meant “highly eligible for marriage,” and lately he had been pressuring Ben more and more to select a suitable match and settle down. Although the Swann family name came with years of prestige (now that Luke’s governorship had restored them to the crown’s good graces), Ben had no fortune of his own. Luke reminded him at least once a day that he needed to marry well: preferably a young woman from a prestigious AND wealthy family. Ben kept turning down Luke's candidates, and Luke kept pretending that had nothing to do with Ben’s heart leading him in a direction Luke did not approve. 

Ben knew that his uncle would wait outside his door until he came out, so he jumped out of bed and began to dress for the day. He had a new black suit, blue vest, tall black boots, and black tricorn hat commissioned for this event (or rather, his uncle had), and his first thought after putting all this on was that it was going to be very warm wearing this formal attire and standing out in the afternoon sun. 

When Ben finally opened the door, Luke nodded at him approvingly. 

“Excellent. Just remember to behave in a manner as distinguished as your appearance.”

“Don’t I always?” Ben replied with a roguish grin, and Luke gave him a withering look. 

“I won’t dignify that with a response,” Luke fired back, but Ben thought he caught a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his uncle’s lips. His uncle was in good spirits these days, on account of circumstances finally improving for the Swann family. And as much as Ben liked to joke about getting into trouble, he would indeed be on his best behavior today. His mother’s best friend from childhood, the Duchess Amilyn Holdo, would also be in attendance at the ceremony, and he did want to make a good impression. 

Ben and Luke made their way down the grand staircase towards the carriage and found a footman waiting for them. 

“A visitor for you, M’Lord,” the footman said, and while Ben at first thought that Luke might be flustered by a visitor arriving so close to their scheduled departure time, Luke looked relieved. 

“Finally — I feared it might not arrive in time for the ceremony.”

Ben and Luke stepped into the drawing room, and Ben immediately felt as though the floor had dropped out from underneath his feet...as it always did whenever he saw the young woman now standing in front of him.

_Rey Turner._

She’d come today with Cornelius Plutt, the most famous blacksmith in Port Royal, with a newly forged sword that would be Luke and Ben’s commissioning gift to the new Commodore Hux. She was wearing a plain brown dress that laced up the front, with an ivory shift underneath, and her hair was wound back into a braided bun. Several wisps of hair had escaped, framing her face and refusing to be contained. 

After the _HMS Supremacy_ had found Rey in the shipwrecked waters, she’d settled in Port Royal as an assistant to the blacksmith, as she had no remaining family to turn to. It was unusual to have a young woman working as a blacksmith’s assistant, and originally, Rey had actually been hired as a companion to Mr. Plutt’s wife. However, the Plutts’ son couldn’t be bothered to learn the family trade and had disappeared years ago, and since Rey had shown an aptitude for blacksmithing, Mr. Plutt now had her working in his shop. 

Ben knew that Luke wanted his nephew to forget Rey, but Ben had thought about her every single day since he’d first seen her green-brown eyes staring into his on board the _HMS Supremacy_. It was as if she’d seared herself into his very soul, and after meeting her, he’d never been the same. 

There was a reason Ben kept turning down his uncle’s prospective matches, and it was because his heart had been completely, hopelessly lost to Rey. However, he’d never been given a chance to tell her that, and he had no idea if she even returned his feelings. Their differing social classes had forced them into nothing more than a casual friendship, and his uncle didn’t even really approve of _that_. 

“You’re a little late,” Luke said crisply, and Cornelius Plutt bowed in apology. 

“I offer my apologies, M’Lord — my assistant got behind in her work. I promise you, this will not occur with any future orders you may place.”

Ben saw a flash of anger in Rey’s eyes, but she kept her lips firmly pressed together, her expression otherwise concealing her true thoughts. Ben knew that Mr. Plutt’s “apology” was a brazen lie; there were rumors that he was just a lazy scoundrel who actually made Rey do all the work, and that she was the craftsman who should be the toast of Port Royal.

Mr. Plutt stepped forward and offered the sword to Luke, who slowly removed it from its scabbard and admired the blade. 

“Well, perhaps the lateness was worth it,” Luke remarked. “The craftsmanship is truly exquisite.”

Mr. Plutt smiled and bowed with a flourish. “I am glad you are pleased, Governor Swann. I personally think that it ranks among my best work, and I’m honored that it will be presented to the new commodore.”

Again, Ben saw that flash of fire in Rey’s eyes, and he couldn’t imagine how it felt to have to stand there silently and listen as Mr. Plutt took all the credit for her hard work. Before he even realized what he was doing, he found himself blurting out, “I’m sure Miss Turner also deserves some of the credit for that fine work.”

Rey’s eyes immediately snapped to Ben, and Luke coughed uncomfortably as Mr. Plutt’s face reddened. 

“Yes, I’m sure Miss Turner is a fine assistant,” Luke replied, and then swiftly changed the subject. Ben knew his uncle believed that blacksmithing wasn’t proper work for a woman, but Ben wished his uncle could be a little less narrow-minded. Especially since Rey was so obviously talented at what she did. 

The sword’s golden hilt was intricately carved with swirls and had a pommel with a regal-looking tiger’s head (Hux loved tigers, and it was Ben’s idea to add that detail to the sword). Ben knew that if he picked it up, he’d find that the weapon was perfectly balanced for combat — a weapon that was both beautiful and deadly. He hated the fact that Mr. Plutt could get away with claiming the work as his own, and the only reason no one wanted to challenge him was because of some ridiculous social rule that blacksmithing was “men’s work.”

“We must bid you good day,” Luke told Mr. Plutt and Rey, obviously wanting to bring this awkward meeting to an end. 

“Till next time then, M’Lord,” Mr. Plutt said, and then turned to go, briskly ushering Rey towards the door. 

Ben desperately wanted to say something else to her, to let her know that he saw her for who she was, and that she didn’t deserve the way Mr. Plutt treated her. But he could feel his uncle Luke’s eyes boring into his back, and he was afraid that if he pushed the boundaries too much, Luke would do something like forbid him from ever seeing Rey again. 

So instead, he watched her through the window as she disappeared from his sight, whispering “Goodbye, Rey,” and wondering how he could stand so close to her and yet still feel like there was an ocean of space between them.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rey_knightofren/50348721523/in/dateposted-public/)


	2. A Lucky Meeting

Rey Turner stood in the sweltering blacksmith shop, hammering the piece of metal so hard that her knuckles ached. But she refused to stop — not until she hammered out all the anger festering inside her. 

She should have expected Cornelius Plutt to take credit for the sword she’d made for the newly minted Commodore Armitage Hux, but seeing him bow with such grandeur in front of Governor Luke Swann and pretend he’d made the sword himself had inspired a deeper fury within her than she’d been prepared for. 

Over the years, Rey had taken on more and more of the work in Plutt’s blacksmithing shop, as he and his wife spent most of their time lounging about their house and complaining about all the chores they had to do (and never doing any of them). However, Commodore Hux’s sword was actually the first piece she’d designed and crafted entirely on her own without any input from Plutt. She’d spent countless hours working on the intricate hilt, excited that her work would be presented to such a prestigious recipient.

Then, Plutt had the audacity to claim the workmanship was his — right in front of her. And the worst part was, there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. 

“You know, if you hammer that any harder, I’m afraid you’re going to break it,” Rey’s friend Rose Tico remarked, and Rey finally relented, taking a step back from her work. 

Rey’s best friend Rose currently sat perched on a stool near Rey, watching her work on a jeweled dagger for a client. Rose had stopped by about an hour ago with a cinnamon cake for Rey from her family’s bakery, and then she’d stayed to listen as Rey vented her frustrations about the incident at the governor’s mansion this morning. 

Rose was currently wearing a pale pink dress and a white ruffled headcap, with strands of her dark hair curling around her face. Although Plutt and his wife required Rey to wear a dress whenever she was out in public, they could care less what she did inside the blacksmithing shop, and so she usually wore pants, finding them much easier to work in. 

She and Rose sometimes peered through the windows of the nearby dressmaker’s shop, imagining what it would be like to wear beautiful gowns to a fancy party. Rey doubted she’d ever own anything so elaborate, no matter how much she and Rose might daydream about actually going to a ball. 

Rey had met Rose soon after coming to Port Royal, and the two had become fast friends. Whenever Rey had a chance, she liked to sneak away to the Tico family bakery, not just to buy some of their delicious breads and pastries but to experience what it was like to be surrounded by a warm, loving family. Hue and Thanya Tico might not be wealthy, but they loved their daughters Paige and Rose very, very much, and they always treated Rey with kindness as well. 

Rey longed to have a family like that to call her own, but her father had died of sickness on their long sea voyage even before the shipwreck, and Rey had never known her mother. Rey’s father had always treated her well, though he’d often seemed distant and melancholy. He’d never explained to Rey why her mother was no longer in their life, and Rey had sensed that she might not want to know the answer. 

The only subject her father ever spoke passionately about was his distaste for pirates. Rey wasn’t sure what dealings a carpenter from London could have had with pirates that would have caused him to form such a strong opinion about them, but he disliked pirates so much that for a long time he refused to go anywhere near the sea at all. 

Before he’d died, he’d made Rey promise to stick to land as much as possible, and in a rare moment of vulnerability, he’d told her that she was the greatest treasure of his life, that he loved her, and that he’d keep watch over her even after he was gone. Ten years later, Rey still felt an ache in her heart whenever she thought of him; she wished she could have gotten to know him better, before the mysterious event in his past that had caused him to shut himself off emotionally. 

Rey grabbed a dirty rag and wiped the sweat off her brow, then took a gulp of water from the bucket next to her. She was calmer now after talking to Rose, but she couldn’t quite let go of her irritation towards Plutt. 

“I almost punched him at the governor’s house,” Rey admitted. “I wonder who would have been more shocked at that — Plutt or the governor.” 

Rose giggled. “Oh, that would have been a sight to see. But...it probably wouldn’t have been worth it.”

“No, probably not,” Rey agreed grumpily. 

As much as she hated Plutt’s selfishness and laziness, she was actually glad he didn’t come down to the blacksmithing shop that often. The shop had become Rey’s sanctuary — a place where she could be alone with her work and her thoughts, and chat with Rose whenever she wanted. 

It was actually one of the larger, nicer blacksmithing shops in Port Royal — or at least, it had been one of the nicer shops before Plutt grew too stingy to pay for its full upkeep. Warm sunlight filtered in through the cloudy windows and shone down on the dirt floor, and Rey’s tools were older but serviceable. Although the raging fire in the forge made blacksmithing hot, dirty work, at least in here Rey was pretty much free to do what she wanted. 

“Well, even if the governor doesn’t know who actually made the sword, I’m pretty sure his nephew does,” Rey added. “Plutt had this look of horror on his face when Benjamin Swann suggested that I also should be complimented.”

Rose smiled, a strange twinkle in her eye. “I’m certain that young Mr. Swann has a very high opinion of your work,” she said, and Rey gave her friend a suspicious look. 

“I have a feeling that you’re implying something, but I don’t know what that is,” Rey said, and Rose’s grin turned even more devious. 

“Oh nothing — I just find Benjamin Swann’s continued interest in you rather intriguing. I think we both know he’s sweet on you.”

“He’s what?” Rey nearly dropped her hammer on her foot in surprise, and she felt her face flush a bright, flaming red that had nothing to do with how close she was standing to the forge. “Surely you’re joking. Ben — I mean, Mr. Swann—” She corrected herself when she realized the nickname “Ben” might be too familiar. “—Would never think of me. His uncle has plans for him to marry a rich heiress and pursue an illustrious career in government.”

“Well, I think Ben _does_ think about you,” Rose countered, leaning forward on the stool. “I saw the way he looked at you the one time we bumped into him outside the dressmaker’s shop. That boy is hopelessly in love with you, Rey.” 

Rey tried to return her attention to the dagger she was working on, attempting to appear less flustered than she actually felt. The idea of Ben being attracted to her was impossible, and she had never thought of him that way either...had she? 

Perhaps there _were_ times when her thoughts had dwelled on his deep brown eyes and that perfectly wavy black hair more often than they should. And maybe, once or twice, she’d imagined things that would make her blush to say them out loud. 

But in the end, she knew that Benjamin Swann was just as unattainable as those fancy dresses in the window, and she would be wise to direct her thoughts elsewhere.

“I’m sure Benjamin Swann has many charms, but I promise you, I’m immune to them,” Rey said. “There are plenty of handsome men in Port Royal who aren’t governor’s nephews.”

“So you DO think Benjamin Swann is handsome,” Rose said mischievously, and Rey threw up her hands in mock exasperation. 

“I give up — at this point nothing I can say will convince you that I’m not in danger of falling in love,” Rey laughed. “Maybe it’s my turn to tease you about a certain gentleman being commissioned as a commodore today.”

Now it was Rose’s cheeks that were turning red, and she waved her hands in a gesture of surrender. 

The same day Rey and Rose had run into Ben outside the dressmaker’s shop, his friend Armitage Hux had been walking through Port Royal with him. Rose had made the mistake of commenting that she found Officer Hux very handsome, and Rey hadn’t forgotten about it. 

“All right, I call for a truce,” Rose said. “Let’s go to the bakery and get another slice of cake.”

Well, Rey certainly had no complaints about that particular suggestion. Technically she shouldn’t be leaving the blacksmithing shop during her shift, but she was already a day or two ahead of schedule on all the projects she was working on. Besides, the temperature inside the blacksmithing shop was stifling right now, and she longed to take a walk by the ocean and feel the sea breeze in her hair. 

“It’s a deal,” Rey grinned, quickly throwing an overdress on top of her shirt and pants and grabbing a knapsack. “Maybe we can even climb up to the hill and catch a glimpse of the ceremony at the fort.”

*** 

At the moment, Poe Dameron was ridiculously, shamelessly drunk — but unfortunately, not quite drunk enough to forget the many problems currently trying to chase him down. 

He considered standing up and trying to face some of those problems...or he could just order another glass of rum from the tavern and hope that all he needed was one more drink to make him truly forget. 

He opted for the latter choice. 

“Poe, are you sure about this?” 

His first mate Finn, who was currently sitting across the table from him, raised an eye and stared at Poe disapprovingly as the former pirate captain tipped back yet another tankard of rum. “Far be it from me to judge you and stop you from having a good time, but I really don’t want to have to carry you out of here when you pass out drunk on the floor.”

“I’m perfectly capable of walking out on my own at any…” For a brief second, Poe’s vision swam, and Finn split into two bleary, identical images of himself that wavered in the air in front of him. Poe blinked and shook his head, trying to clear his vision. It worked...sort of. “I’m fine. Really.”

Finn remained unconvinced. “Poe, can you even see straight right now? Whenever you talk to me, your eyes keep darting around like you can’t even focus on my face.”

“You’re supposed to be my first mate — not my guardian,” Poe complained, and Finn was kind enough not to fire back that technically, Finn wasn’t his first mate anymore because Poe wasn’t a captain anymore, thanks to the fact that he’d lost his ship. 

The _Sea Falcon_ was Poe’s greatest love, and — currently — the greatest pain in his arse. His ship had been stolen from him by a man he’d been stupid enough to trust, and he’d spent the past year chasing said ship around the Caribbean and trying (unsuccessfully) to steal it back. He and Finn were currently working their way through the seedier taverns of Port Royal, trying to catch any news of the _Sea Falcon_. Unfortunately, the trail seemed to have gone cold. 

If a sailor had seen the _Sea Falcon_ , they’d definitely remember it. It wasn’t a subtle ship by any means — the black sails always made it stand out on the horizon, and the figurehead was a silver sea goddess with a falcon perched on her wrist. It had once been the most legendary pirate ship in the Caribbean, but now it seemed to have sailed into oblivion and hadn’t been spotted in months. 

“I’m never going to find that damn ship,” Poe muttered, staring into the bottom of his now-empty glass of rum. At least the alcohol had somewhat numbed the regret that washed over him every time he remembered how he’d lost his beloved ship. He knew he should probably just give up and start over, but there really was no other ship like the _Sea Falcon_. She wasn’t just the fastest ship he’d ever sailed; to him she symbolized adventure, opportunity...and freedom. He knew he’d never be satisfied until the ship was back in his hands. 

“It’s going to be hard to catch the _Sea Falcon_ by just asking around on land,” Finn said. “Maybe it’s time to ask you know who for—”

“No — not that.” Poe pointed a finger of warning at Finn, cutting him off. Maybe there would come a day when he was desperate enough to go back to _her_ for help...but it wasn’t today. 

Finn did have a point, though; migrating from tavern to tavern asking for information was getting them nowhere. It was time to try a different tactic. 

“You’re right, Finn,” Poe said, clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder (it took him three tries to actually make physical contact — maybe he _should_ lay off the rum). “To catch a ship, we need a ship.”

Finn raised an eyebrow. “And where, exactly, are we going to get this ship? We’re not exactly loaded down with money at the moment.”

Poe thought back to a comment he’d overhead in the tavern this morning; supposedly up at the fort, some ridiculous nobleman was being appointed as an admiral or commodore, or something to that effect. There was going to be a big ceremony that would be occupying the attention of Port Royal for the day. 

A slow grin spread across Poe’s face and Finn started to look concerned. 

“Oh no, I recognize that expression,” Finn said. “You’re getting an idea. And it’s going to be crazy and risky and difficult to pull off, and I’m going to try to talk you out of it but I won’t be successful.”

“I know where we can borrow a ship,” Poe announced. “Here’s what we’re going to do — and it WILL work, I promise...”

***

As much as he cared about his best friend Armitage Hux, Ben Swann wished he were currently anywhere but _here_. 

He’d enjoyed watching the ceremony itself, and was proud of his friend’s accomplishments. The new commodore had attempted to keep a neutral, formal expression on his face throughout the proceedings, but Ben could tell the young man was beaming with pride. He wished Armitage’s father, Brendol, could have been bothered to look a little more thrilled to be there. 

Brendol was such a paradox; he’d spent so much time and effort trying to help Armitage find success in society, without expressing any interest in having an actual relationship of any kind with his son. Ben had heard the rumors that Hux was actually a bastard and his real mother was a kitchen maid rather than Brendol’s late wife. Ben never asked Armitage about it, because he knew it made his friend uncomfortable. Armitage also refused to speak an ill word against his father, even though Ben was pretty sure Brendol deserved it. 

Ben was currently trying to navigate his way through the reception following the ceremony, and do his best to make a good impression and not embarrass his uncle. He’d limited himself to one glass of port, even though several more really would have helped take the edge off his nerves. 

“Benjamin!”

Ben heard his uncle’s overly cheerful voice behind him and tried not to wince as he turned around and found his uncle smiling and leading a young woman over to him. 

“This is the Lady Angelica Bazine,” Luke said, introducing his nephew to the woman standing next to him. “Lady Bazine, may I present my nephew, Benjamin Swann?”

Angelica gave a brief curtsy. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Swann.”

Ben hastily gulped down the large mouthful of port he’d just swallowed right before his uncle came over. It would have been improper for his uncle to say so directly, but Ben knew right away this was the “young woman of particular distinction” that his uncle was encouraging him to marry. 

Angelica’s expression was difficult to read, and he couldn’t tell if her smile was genuine. She was very pretty, with dark hair, a vivid blue gown, and a hat shielding her face from the blistering Caribbean sun. Ben had a feeling Angelica also knew exactly what this meeting was about, and neither of them had any choice but to play the game. 

As one of the other military officers drew Luke’s attention to another conversation, Ben and Angelica were left standing alone, awkwardly facing each other. 

“So, I assume you’re interested in marrying me for my money,” Angelica said bluntly as soon as Luke was out of earshot. 

Ben coughed, nearly choking on his next sip of port. “Pardon, Miss Bazine?”

A sly smile spread across Angelica’s lips. “My father would be horrified if he knew I was being so direct with a gentleman, but I’m not a fool and I don’t think you are either. My father wants the prestige of your family name, and your uncle wants my fortune.”

Ben wasn’t used to speaking so candidly with another person, and he glanced over his shoulder nervously, just to make sure no one was listening. 

“Well, you’re not necessarily wrong,” he admitted, and Angelica smiled — sincerely this time. 

“Good, I’m glad we can be honest with one another. I’m neither in favor of nor opposed to a match between us. I don’t know a thing about you, but you are very handsome, so you have that in your favor.”

Ben’s face turned a brilliant shade of red. Yes, he most certainly was not used to this level of bluntness in his conversations. 

Angelica took a step closer towards him, and she leaned in towards his ear so that she could speak in a whisper only he could hear. 

“Listen, perhaps it’s inevitable that we’ll have to make an ‘advantageous match,’ but right now there’s a certain soldier I’d very much like to sneak away with today. He has no rank, no wealth, and no family to boast of, so my father would most definitely not approve. So let’s pretend to go on a walk together, and then we can each go our separate ways and enjoy an afternoon of freedom. What do you say?”

It was a bold and shocking proposal, and Ben knew exactly what his uncle would have to say. But the prospect of an afternoon where he could be free and wander through Port Royal, not as the governor’s nephew but just an ordinary young man, was too tantalizing to resist. Maybe he could finally have a chance to talk to Rey without anyone listening in. 

“You’ve got a deal,” Ben said, trying not to think about what would happen to them if they got caught. 


	3. An Accident and a Rescue

Finn looked out over the Port Royal harbor and shook his head. “You know what, Poe, you’ve had a lot of stupid plans over the years, but this one has got to be THE stupidest.”

“Thank you for that vote of confidence,” Poe shot back sarcastically, trying not to let his own doubts about the situation show. 

He and Finn were currently hiding in some dense foliage atop a hill overlooking the harbor and surveying the array of ships that were docked there. They could see a mix of merchant vessels and military warships, but at the moment Poe only had eyes for one of them: the crown jewel of the Royal Navy’s Caribbean fleet, the _HMS Supremacy_. 

Technically, Poe’s former ship, the _Sea Falcon_ , was supposed to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and he wasn’t about to relinquish that title. However, the _Supremacy_ just might be the second fastest. It had chased down numerous pirate vessels and had almost caught the _Sea Falcon_ once, much to Poe’s horror and embarrassment. 

If he was going to have any hope of tracking down the _Sea Falcon_ and his mutinous former crew, he’d need a ship that could come close to matching her speed. And that meant he and Finn were somehow going to have to find a way to steal the _Supremacy_. 

“You do realize that you’re expecting just the two of us to somehow board a Royal Navy warship, overpower the existing crew without harming a single soul, and then successfully sail the ship out of the harbor,” Finn said. “That would be a tall order for even the best pirates. And we haven’t exactly been all that lucky lately.”

“In my defense, I never promised this would be easy,” Poe replied, keeping a close eye on the _Supremacy_ to see how many soldiers were patrolling the deck, and how often they made their rounds. “But surely you understand — there’s no point in trying to steal a ship that’s going to be too slow to catch the _Sea Falcon_. If we’re going to take the risk of pirating a vessel from Port Royal’s main harbor, we might as well go after the best.”

Although Finn still looked somewhat skeptical, Poe could tell that by now, he’d mostly persuaded his first mate. Poe wouldn’t admit this out loud of course, but trying to steal the _Supremacy_ WAS a stupid plan. But they were out of options, and Poe was out of patience. 

Besides, there would never be a better time to try to steal the _Supremacy_ than today. Less people were milling about the harbor than normal, due to the ceremony for the new Commodore Armitage Hux up at the fort, and Poe hoped that meant the _Supremacy_ would be less closely guarded. Ironically, Commodore Hux was supposed to be taking command of the _Supremacy_ after this promotion. He’d be in for an unpleasant surprise this afternoon, then, when he discovered the ship was gone. Perhaps he’d be comforted by the fact that Poe had no intentions of keeping the warship; once the _Sea Falcon_ was back under his command, Hux was welcome to the _Supremacy_. 

Also, Poe hadn’t told Finn this, but he was hopeful this stunt would help restore his reputation as a pirate, which had been severely damaged after the loss of the _Sea Falcon_. He was tired of all the jokes about being a ship-less captain, and he’d like to be able to show his face in the popular pirate hideout of Tortuga again without getting laughed out of every tavern. 

Pirating had always been in Poe’s blood. He’d been born on a ship in the middle of a storm to his pirate parents, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron, and he’d always been more comfortable at sea than on land. How he’d originally come by the _Sea Falcon_ was a long and complicated story, and had required him to make a deal that he’d always known could someday backfire. 

He wasn’t afraid to take risks — it was all part of the lifestyle he’d chosen — but he always looked out for his crew and tried to keep them out of harm’s way. If you were a crew member of the _Sea Falcon_ , to Poe you were family. That’s why his former first mate’s betrayal had shocked (and wounded) him so deeply. He’d appointed Finn his new first mate, because Finn was basically his only crew member who’d been true to him in the end.

Finn pulled out his spyglass and surveyed the _Supremacy_ in closer detail. “Well, at this point we’re just wasting time so we might as well move in,” he said with a heavy sigh, and Poe’s face split into a grin. 

“I knew you’d come around,” he proclaimed. 

“What’s your plan to get us on board this vessel, then?” Finn asked. “Don’t tell me you’re just going to waltz on board and ask them politely to hand it over.”

Poe’s grin only widened. “Actually, that’s almost exactly what I had in mind. Except first we just need to get ourselves two hostages.”

“Two what?” Finn exclaimed. 

“I’m not going to hurt them,” Poe promised. “I’m sure we can find two people walking around the harbor, convince them to help us, and then use them to persuade the sailors to let us take control of the _Supremacy_.”

“Oh, so then the Royal Navy will be able to hang us for piracy AND kidnapping,” Finn said. “That’s just great, Poe, just great.”

“And do you have a better idea?” Poe snapped. When Finn remained silent, he continued, “That’s right, I didn’t think so. Just trust me, this will work like a charm and we’ll be sailing out of Port Royal by sunset.”

“I certainly hope so,” Finn grumbled. “But if I hang for this, I’m going to haunt you in the afterlife as an angry ghost.”

Poe clapped Finn on the back. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” 

***

A smile spread across Rey’s face as she took a big bite from her slice of cinnamon cake and took in the hustle and bustle of Port Royal around her. The streets were filled with people walking in and out of the busy shops, talking and laughing and otherwise enjoying the beautiful sunny day.

She was so glad Rose had convinced her to take a break (Cornelius Plutt and his wife had been napping when she left and probably wouldn’t even notice that she’d disappeared for a few hours). Rey and Rose had stopped by the Tico family bakery first to get a sweet treat (and a hug from Rose’s sister Paige) before heading out to explore the town. They’d peeked in the window of the dressmaker’s shop to admire a gorgeous, dark green satin gown and then strolled their way down to the harbor to look at all the ships. 

Rey knew her father’s feelings about ships and sailors (and especially pirates), and while Rey had no desire to ever meet a pirate herself, sometimes she did feel a bit of wanderlust whenever she looked up at the crisp white sails of the ships in the harbor, flapping in the breeze. She didn’t necessarily love the act of sailing itself, the way some people did; instead, she was more drawn to the places a ship could potentially take her. 

It was strange to think about how many miles she’d sailed from her original home in London, a place she’d quite possibly never see again and felt so far away now it might as well be a different world. She wondered about the other islands hidden beyond the horizon, somewhere out in that vast blue ocean, and imagined all the uncharted lands waiting to be explored. She wished she could take Rose on an adventure to see some of those places, but she knew that wasn’t what her father had wished for her. He’d be happy to know that she was safely settled in Port Royal, as distant from the dangers of the sea as one could get while living on an island. 

“I think that one’s my favorite,” Rose said, polishing off the last bite of her slice of cinnamon cake as she pointed to a warship docked on the far side of the harbor. 

Rey shot her friend a teasing grin. “The _HMS Supremacy_ , eh? I’m sure the fact that it’s going to be Commodore Armitage Hux’s ship has nothing to do with it being your favorite.”

Rose’s face flushed, and she gave Rey a disparaging look. “Oh, stop it. I just think it’s an impressive ship. It’s supposed to be the biggest and fastest ship in the Caribbean. I heard they named it the _Supremacy_ because it inspires ‘pride in the members of the Royal Navy, and dread within all the pirates who see it coming.’” She used an exaggerated, aristocratic tone for the last part of her explanation, imitating the naval officer who’d originally spoken those words. 

Rey looked at the rows of guns poking out from the sides of the warship. “Well, I know I definitely wouldn’t want to find myself on the wrong end of all that firepower.” She’d overhead enough tales from the sailors in Port Royal to know that sea battles were a bloody, violent business — and also deafeningly loud.

Rose grabbed Rey by the hand. “Come on, it looks like there aren’t many soldiers around today; let’s take a closer look!”

Rey and Rose had once been chastised for getting too close to a warship on one of their walks near the harbor, but the two friends had since discovered a hidden path through the foliage that allowed them to sneak up closer to the ships and get a better view. They’d taken this path many times without incident, and so they both nearly screamed when they ducked behind a palm tree and nearly ran into two gentlemen. 

Well, maybe “gentlemen” wasn’t quite accurate. They were both handsome but looking a little worse for wear at the moment, especially the one with a day’s worth of stubble and a red scarf around his neck. Rey could tell he’d already been drinking, and she was surprised he could actually walk in a straight line.

Rey instinctively moved in front of Rose to protect her friend, and reached for the dagger she had hidden in the secret pocket she’d sewn in her dress. She knew Rose could take care of herself in most any situation, but she didn’t think her friend was armed, and these two men most definitely were. The one with the red scarf had a pistol and a sword, and the other one, wearing a blue vest, had a sword. 

“Well, what good fortune!” the man with the red scarf proclaimed, and the other man sighed and rolled his eyes. There was definitely a story behind these two, but Rey wasn’t exactly keen to linger and find out what it was. 

“I told you it wouldn’t be hard,” Mr. Red Scarf went on. “As you can see, fate has presented us with two perfect volunteers.”

Rey stared at the two men suspiciously and began backing away from them. “You’d be wise to let us pass and be on our way,” she said as sternly as she could. “We don’t want any trouble.”

“Poe, can’t you just let these two nice young women go?” the other man said, his hands on his hips. “I told you this plan was stupid.”

“No Finn, it will work,” Mr. Red Scarf (apparently “Poe”) insisted, then turned back to Rey and Rose. “I’m sorry to trouble you two lovely young ladies and I don’t want to waste your time, so I’ll get right to the point. We need two volunteer hostages to help us take control of the _HMS_ _Supremacy_.”

The proposition was so ridiculous that Rey almost started laughing, but something about the way Poe was looking at her so earnestly made her realize he was serious.

“You’re pirates, aren’t you?” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Well, whatever you have planned, we want no part of it.”

“I promise, no harm will come to you,” Poe said, his voice turning a little more desperate. “I’m not even trying to steal the _Supremacy_. I just need to borrow a ship to help me chase down my actual ship, which was unfairly stolen from me.”

“Well, if you’re a pirate maybe it serves you right,” Rey said. She hadn’t realized it, but her voice was getting louder as her temper rose, and she hoped that maybe some of the nearby soldiers would hear the commotion. “I’m still not helping you.”

“Listen, I’m running out of time!” Poe brandished his sword at them. “We’re leaving now.”

“So...you’re actually kidnapping us?” Rose asked incredulously. “After trying to bargain with us first? You might be the worst pirate I’ve ever seen.”

“I tried to warn you this wasn’t going to go smoothly, Poe,” Finn said in a very I-told-you-so sort of voice, and Poe glared. 

“I don’t need that from you right now! Let’s just get to the _Supremacy_ , and then we can all go about our afternoon.”

Rey wrapped her fingers tighter around her dagger, considering for a moment what would happen if she just took off running or tried to fight her way out of the situation. Somehow deep down, she didn’t think Poe was an actual threat, but she remembered all her father’s warnings about pirates. Perhaps it was better to just play along for now, and then let him get captured by the sailors on board the _Supremacy_. She actually felt sorry for Finn; he didn’t look very thrilled by this preposterous plan. 

“Fine,” Rey replied coldly, staring down Poe. “But your plan is going to fail — spectacularly. And I’m going to look forward to watching that happen.”

“Let’s hope not,” Poe grumbled, and Rey, Rose, and the two pirates marched off towards the _HMS Supremacy_. 

***

As he walked through the streets of Port Royal, Benjamin Swann realized he hadn’t felt this free in well...forever. He decided that even if he got caught, making this deal with Angelica Bazine had been worth it. 

He couldn’t believe they’d actually gotten away with it so far. They’d pretended to casually stroll through the fort, arm in arm, and then as soon as they were out of sight of the party, they’d split up to go their separate ways. Ben had an inkling what sort of trouble Angelica planned to get into with the soldier she’d sneaked off with, but he didn’t have a set plan for his own hours of freedom. He hoped he’d get a chance to talk to Rey but found himself growing more and more nervous as he neared her blacksmithing shop. 

In the time since he’d met her 10 years ago, he’d never actually had a chance to speak with her privately. It wouldn’t be “proper” (at least not in his uncle’s eyes). That’s why he still had the silver pirate medallion Rey had been carrying when they’d rescued her from the shipwrecked flotsam. 

He’d never found an explanation for what the necklace was and why she’d been carrying it with her, and he’d felt it was too dangerous to ask her about it in front of his uncle or Cornelius Plutt. So he’d been keeping it locked away in his dresser all this time, waiting for the “right moment” that had never actually come. 

But maybe that would change today. He’d slipped back into the governor’s mansion for just a minute to grab the medallion before heading over to the blacksmithing shop. He now had the necklace safely tucked away in his coat pocket, ready to finally return it to its rightful owner. 

However, to his great disappointment, when he arrived at the blacksmithing shop he found the door was barred and no one answered when he knocked. It seemed odd that Rey would be gone in the middle of the day, but he could see through the window that no one was there. 

Maybe she was out making a delivery, or taking care of some other item of business, he realized. Maybe he’d been silly and naïve to just assume that she’d be here — she had her own life to live, after all. He didn’t want to attract undue attention by just loitering around the doorway; he definitely didn’t want to run into Cornelius Plutt instead. 

His heart sinking, he found himself wandering listlessly through town, buying a pastry from the Tico family bakery and then strolling down towards the harbor. He was sad about missing Rey and hoped that looking at the ships would raise his spirits. For the briefest of seconds, he pondered what would happen if he just sneaked on board one of the ships as a stowaway and began a completely new life of adventure on the seas. But it was just a passing thought, and nothing more. He couldn’t disappoint his mother like that. 

As he walked along the harbor, Ben gazed up at the merchant ships being loaded with cargo and then spotted the _HMS Supremacy_. He was excited for his best friend Armitage Hux getting to command such a powerful ship. Many ships came and went from Port Royal, but none were as beautiful or impressive as the _HMS Supremacy_. The ship looked very lightly crewed today, on account of most of the soldiers being up at the fort for the ceremony, and the sailors who were on board seemed to be enjoying a quiet afternoon. 

Or at least, that’s what Ben would have expected. As he drew closer, he realized he could hear a commotion up on the deck of the ship. Puzzled, he jogged a little closer and found, to his shock, that one of the voices belonged to none other than Rey Turner. 

***

“You have got to be bloody joking.”

The sailor stared at Poe incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. 

Rey didn’t blame him. This was the craziest scheme she’d personally ever heard of, and she desperately wished she didn’t have to be a part of it. 

Somehow, Poe had gotten away with his “plan” so far. He, Finn, Rey, and Rose had walked up the gangplank and were now confronting the two sailors standing guard on deck. Finn had tried one more time to talk Poe out of this before they boarded the ship, but to no avail. Rey had decided that she liked Finn, and wouldn’t mind calling him a friend. Poe, on the other hand, could spend a long, cold night alone in prison. 

“I’m serious — I’ll trade these two hostages for control of the _Supremacy_ ,” Poe said, and the other sailor burst out laughing. 

“Absolutely not! I’m not turning over the pride of His Majesty’s Royal Navy to some washed-up pirate. I think I know who you are now — Poe Dameron, isn’t it? Weren’t you once the captain of the _Sea Falcon_ before your first mate stole it from you? You’ve got to be the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Rose piped up, and Poe shot her a glare. 

“Listen, I just need to borrow your ship until I can get mine back,” Poe explained to the sailors. “I give you my word I’ll bring the _Supremacy_ back safe and sound.”

“Well, you can take your word and shove it up where the sun doesn’t shine,” one of the sailors spat. “We’re not giving you this ship.”

Poe and the sailors continued to argue, and Rey realized this was going nowhere fast. She hadn’t planned to be away from the blacksmith shop this long, and now she was starting to worry about Cornelius Plutt and his wife coming back and realizing she’d been away all afternoon. 

She was convinced now that Poe wouldn’t actually do anything to hurt her and Rose, but the soldiers weren’t interfering just yet for fear of harm coming to the two ladies. Perhaps it was time for Rey to take matters into her own hands. She waited until she was sure Poe was no longer paying attention to her and then dropped down, rolling out of his reach. 

“Hey, come back!” he shouted, as Rose also took this chance to dart away. 

Rey meant to run towards the gangplank, but her feet got tangled up in some rope coiled on the deck. She tried to shake her feet free while still running, but to her horror, found herself losing her balance. 

Rey had never learned to swim; as her father didn’t like the sea, he’d never seen a reason to teach her, and she’d never gotten around to pursuing it on her own. This was actually the first time she’d been on a boat since stepping off the _HMS Supremacy_ ten years ago. 

She realized, too late, that she probably should have made more of an effort to learn. Because now she was utterly and completely helpless as she tumbled over the railing and sank into the ocean. 

***

Ben had no idea what Rey Turner was doing on board the _HMS Supremacy_ , having what appeared to be a rather heated conversation with two sailors and two other men he couldn’t identify from this far away. 

His first instinct was that whatever was going on was not his business, and there was no need for him to try to interfere. But he was more than a little curious, and that curiosity caused him to linger just one second longer...long enough to see Rey stumble and topple over the edge of the ship into the ocean. 

Rose immediately started screaming, and Ben couldn’t hear everything she was saying. But he could just barely make out the words: _She can’t swim! She can’t swim!_

Ben felt as though time had ground to a halt as he stood there frozen, staring at the _Supremacy_ in horror. _Rey couldn’t swim_...and she’d just plunged into the ocean, sinking in waters deep enough to drown her. 

Ben didn’t have time to think about what to do, but he didn’t need to. Before his mind could even process what had happened, he was running towards the edge of the dock, keeping his eyes locked on the exact spot where Rey had fallen into the water. 

Ben wasn’t exactly the best of swimmers, but his uncle had insisted he learn before they began their journey to Port Royal, and now Ben was incredibly grateful. He reached the end of the dock and immediately yanked off his boots and his jacket. They’d just weigh him down in the water. People were staring at him, but he didn’t care. All he knew was that someone had to pull Rey out of the water before it was too late. 

He took a deep breath and dived headfirst into the ocean. The salt water stung his eyes when he opened them, but he ignored the pain; he had to keep his eyes on Rey before she sank too deep. 

He spotted her sinking through the water, weighed down by her heavy clothes and the knapsack on her back. He swam towards her, and although his lungs ached for air, he refused to surface again for fear of losing sight of her. 

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he reached her, and he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could so the current wouldn’t pull her away from him. Her overdress had gotten caught on some piece of debris in the water — maybe an old anchor — and since he didn’t have to time figure out how to carefully unlace the garment he just had to tear the fabric off (he also didn’t have time to be embarrassed about the fact that now Rey was dressed in just pants and a corset). 

He kicked as hard as he could towards the surface, and as his head popped above the water, he gasped for breath. He could see Rose kneeling on the dock, her frantic sobbing turning to tears of relief as soon as she saw him holding her friend. The two unidentified men he’d seen on the _Supremacy_ earlier were also splashing around in the water, apparently also searching for Rey. 

Rose helped him pull Rey onto the dock, and he knelt over her, trying to see if she was still breathing. At the moment, he couldn’t tell, and he felt a sense of panic rising within him once again. 

“Rey, wake up, please wake up!” he begged her, holding her head in his hands and placing his head on her chest, listening for a heartbeat. Mercifully, he could still hear one. 

He shook her gently, trying to rouse her, and then he tilted her head back to try to clear any blockage in her throat. The seconds he waited were agonizing, but then at last Rey flinched and began to cough violently, spitting up salt water. 

“It’s all right, Rey, it’s all right,” he told her, helping her sit up. He wanted to take her in his arms and (if he was bolder) kiss her, but he hadn’t forgotten they had an audience, and for now he was content to know that she was all right. 

***

Rey’s mind had faded in and out of consciousness as she sank down through the waves, and she was terrified that the last thing she’d see in this life was the widening gulf between her and the surface. Her final memory before passing out was watching the beams of sunlight filtering through the water.

So she was both shocked and thankful that the next sensations she was aware of were the rough wood of the dock pressing into her back and a coughing fit wracking her lungs. Neither sensation was pleasant, but they reminded her that she was still very much alive. 

As she opened her eyes and finally got them to focus, she found, to her even greater surprise, that Benjamin Swann was currently leaning over her, his clothes and hair dripping wet as he stared into her eyes with a look of profound relief. She tried not to focus on the way his white shirt clung to him, leaving little to the imagination and letting her appreciate his very broad shoulders.

It took Rey a moment to process the fact that at this moment she was dressed in nothing but a corset and pants, and her face went flaming red as she realized that to an outside observer, she and Ben were now in a very compromising position. She, of course, knew exactly what had happened: somehow, Ben must have been walking along the dock when she fell off the ship and then dived into the water to rescue her. Her clothes must have gotten caught on something, and losing her favorite dress was more than a fair trade for her life. 

Still, she’d never been this...well...vulnerable in front of someone else before, and to make matters worse, this whole situation was reminding her of a very vivid and rather improper dream she’d once had about Ben that she’d desperately tried to forget. She imagined Ben’s uncle would keel over and die instantly if he saw them in such a state of undress, regardless of their very valid reasons for appearing so. 

Ben seemed so relieved that she was alive that it took him a few seconds to register his own embarrassment, and then he quickly stood up, grabbing his boots and hiding his face so that no one could see that he was blushing. 

“Oh Rey, I’m so glad you’re all right!” Rose swooped in to hug her, and Rey wrapped her arms around her friend, trying to push away the strange tingling she’d felt while sitting so close to Ben. “I’m gonna kill those two pirates!”

“Pirates?” Ben asked in confusion, glancing over at Poe and Finn just as the two sailors from the _Supremacy_ ran down the dock, pointing their muskets at the two would-be ship thieves. 

“That’s right,” one of the sailors said, giving Poe a murderous glare. “This man was attempting to take over the _Supremacy_ and is the perpetrator of this entire mess.” He looked down at Rey and then quickly glanced away, realizing she was dressed solely in a corset. “I, um, hope you are all right, ma’am,” he said, keeping his eyes averted. 

Ben handed Rey his jacket, and she wrapped herself up in it, wishing she could sink beneath the dock and disappear. Poe should be grateful she was so embarrassed at the moment; otherwise she might be tempted to throttle him. 

“I’m fine,” she said. “And also very eager to never see that man—” She gestured towards Poe Dameron. “—Again in my life.”

“Oh believe me, the Royal Navy would be very happy to arrange that,” the sailor said dryly. “Poe and Finn, the two of you will be spending the night enjoying the comforts of the Port Royal jail.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean for—” Poe tried to protest, but the other sailor from the _Supremacy_ ordered, “Clap them in irons!” and that was that. 

Rey was vaguely aware of Poe trying to apologize to her and Rose, and deep down, she believed he really was sorry. He technically wasn’t responsible for the fact she’d fallen off the ship and nearly drowned, but he should have known better than to try something as crazy as attempting to steal the best ship in the Royal Navy in broad daylight with just two people. 

“Well, that was an adventure,” Rose said as the two sailors disappeared with the pirates. “And by adventure I mean a frustrating, terrifying experience I hope to never go through again.”

“Are you sure the two of you are all right?” Ben asked. He was wearing his boots and hat again, which made him appear more “presentable,” but his wet shirt still gave him this rakish and very distracting appearance and—

Rey bit her lip. What the devil was wrong with her? She shouldn’t be thinking such things! She was very thankful neither Ben nor Rose could see inside her mind right now. 

“I’m fine,” Rey assured him. “Just not looking forward to going back to the blacksmith shop and explaining how I lost my dress.”

Ben’s cheeks reddened again. “I’m so sorry. Your...uh...dress got caught on something, and I had to...um...rip it to—”

“I understand,” Rey said. “Thank you for saving me. I guess I really should have learned how to swim.”

Ben laughed awkwardly. “I’m glad my uncle made me learn.”

Rey and Ben both fell silent, just staring at each other for a moment. Neither of them knew what to say, but neither seemed in a hurry to leave. 

Rey was dying to know what was going on behind Ben’s endless brown eyes. Even though they’d met ten years ago, they still didn’t really know each other. Society hadn’t given them the leeway to. Rey’s accident and rescue had stripped away some of the rigid protocol that normally kept them apart, but she knew that as soon as they turned around and went their separate ways today, the barriers between them would go right back up. Maybe that’s why neither one of them was ready to leave. 

“Rey, I—” Ben’s voice cracked, and he reached out to her, and Rey’s heart started to pound as she imagined him touching her again. 

But then Rose cleared her throat and stepped between them, taking control of the situation. 

“Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Swann,” she said. “But I’m afraid we must be getting back to the blacksmith shop.”

“Oh, of course.” Ben took a step back, looking a little chagrined. “I should...uh...be getting back to the fort. My uncle doesn’t exactly, well…he doesn’t know I came down to the harbor. I’ll have a lot of explaining to do when I get back.” He tipped his hat to them and bowed slightly. “Good day, Miss Tico, Miss Turner.”

Rose looped her arm through Rey’s and started leading her away, and Rey tried to focus on the gratitude she felt for Ben instead of certain...well...other things. She was sure her nerves were just addled from her near drowning. She’d get back to feeling normal soon. 

Or at least that’s what she’d try to tell herself. But she knew that thoughts of Ben would haunt her tonight...whether she was willing to give into them or not. 


	4. Ben’s Gamble

Ben was certain his uncle would be angry at him for sneaking out of the fort and returning to the party with water-logged clothes and messy hair. But thanks to Angelica Bazine’s quick thinking, Luke ended up rather pleased with how the day turned out. 

Angelica and her soldier friend had also been strolling down by the harbor this afternoon and had heard the commotion when Rey fell into the water and then the pirates were arrested. She suggested to Ben that they walk back to the fort arm in arm, and pretend they’d been together the whole time. 

While Luke wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Ben and Angelica leaving the fort unchaperoned, he was delighted to hear about what a good impression Ben had made on Angelica during their time exploring Port Royal. Angelica gushed about how heroic Ben was, diving into the water to save some poor soul who’d fallen off the ship and then challenging a supposedly “dangerous pirate.” Ben hadn’t mentioned that “poor soul” was Rey Turner, because he knew how his uncle felt about his continued interest in the blacksmith. 

Angelica fluttered her eyelashes at Ben as she talked, and Luke smiled broadly, as if he could already hear the wedding bells. Ben felt a little guilty about deceiving his uncle (even if the story Angelica told was _mostly_ true), and he wondered how he’d break the news that Angelica actually wasn’t madly in love with him and that he had no plans to marry her. He finally decided he’d worry about that later. At least for now, he was glad to have escaped the awkwardness of explaining all the details of what had really happened on the dock. 

“I can’t believe you’ve upstaged me at my own appointment ceremony,” Armitage Hux said, walking up behind Ben and clapping him on the back as Angelica and her father left the party, Angelica waving flirtatiously at Ben. “Everyone is extolling your heroic exploits down at the harbor. Angelica Bazine was practically swooning.” 

Ben’s face reddened. “I’m sorry, I promise I wasn’t trying to distract from your special day or—”

“Oh stop, I’m only teasing,” Hux laughed. Ben could tell his best friend was in high spirits today, and was already wearing the new sword Rey had made for him. The title of commodore suited him well, and Ben had even heard Hux’s father, Brendol, telling his son how proud he felt today. “However, I am a little curious why you decided to sneak away with Angelica. I didn’t think she was your type.”

“She—” Ben glanced over at his uncle, who at the moment was deep in conversation with Brendol Hux, and then lowered his voice. “She isn’t. She asked me to cover for her so she could meet with an...acquaintance.” 

Hux raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s intriguing. So I’m guessing you wanted to take that opportunity to visit with an ‘acquaintance’ of your own. One who works at a certain blacksmithing shop?”

Ben tried to shrug as nonchalantly as possible. “She wasn’t at home when I stopped by.”

“But she was down at the harbor.” Hux’s expression turned more serious. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to your uncle, but I heard the full story from one of the sailors who was on the _Supremacy_ during the incident. I know Rey was the person who nearly drowned, and I’m glad you were able to save her. Still, you need to take care that you don’t make your feelings for her anymore obvious than they already are.”

Although Hux was just trying to be helpful, Ben flinched at the words, and he found his temper rising. 

“I can’t just spend the afternoon pretending to court Angelica Bazine when I’m already in love with—”

“This isn’t the place for this conversation,” Hux said gently. “But you must already know in your heart — there is no fairy-tale ending for you and Rey. The difference in your station is too great, and society won’t allow it. It’s bloody unfair, but neither you nor I have the power to change that. You’ll only make yourself more miserable in the long run if you continue to deny it.”

Ben wanted to argue, to fight against the truth of those words, but he didn’t know what to say. 

“And you could do a lot worse than Angelica Bazine,” Hux added softly. “She’s intelligent and spirited, and regardless of what you might say, the way she looked at you wasn’t entirely an act. It might be the best match you have available to you. Don’t forget — sometimes it’s better to pick your own poison.”

***

Rey’s attempt to sneak back into the blacksmithing shop unannounced wasn’t nearly as successful as Ben’s efforts to sneak back to the fort and convince his uncle he hadn’t been up to anything suspicious. 

When Rey unlocked the door to the shop and stepped inside, she discovered, to her dismay, that Mrs. Plutt was already standing there waiting for her, hands planted stubbornly on her hips. 

“So good of you to finally come home — and just in time for supper!” Imelda Plutt remarked, gazing disapprovingly at Rey. “And what interesting attire! I’m sure you have quite a tale to tell.”

Rey shot Rose an uneasy look, as Rose tried to smile at Imelda disarmingly. There was absolutely no way they could present this story that would keep Rey out of trouble, but at least they could try to mitigate some of the damage. 

“It’s my fault,” Rose told Imelda, and when Rey tried to protest, Rose ignored her and kept going. “I accept full responsibility for everything that happened. I invited Rey to go on a walk beside the harbor, and then she accidentally fell into the water. She was rescued by a gentleman who happened to be walking nearby, and we came back here right afterwards. The gentleman was kind enough to loan Rey his jacket so she wouldn’t have to wander through the streets undressed. It was very chivalrous.”

Although Imelda appeared somewhat placated, she continued to stare at Rey suspiciously. “Hmm...it is true that Rey can’t swim, and I know how fond you girls are of exploring down by the water — although I don’t approve of it when there are still chores to be done.”

Rey really wanted to make a comment that she was actually ahead on her list of chores (a list that Cornelius and Imelda were too lazy to help with), but she decided that wouldn’t help her case. 

“Well, you’re lucky that gentleman came along when he did,” Imelda said. “Although I hate to think what our neighbors might assume from seeing Rey wandering through the streets wearing a man’s jacket and soaking wet clothes. We Plutts are respectable folk.”

Rey almost snorted at the idea of the Plutts being “respectable folk,” but fortunately she was able to maintain a neutral expression. 

“Rose, you’d better run along home to your parents, then,” Imelda went on, apparently satisfied by the explanation Rey and Rose had provided. “Rey, I’d like you to finish your work in the shop before you come to dinner; a plate will be sitting out for you.”

“But, Mrs. Plutt, I—” Rey could feel her stomach growling, and after her long, eventful day, she was very hungry. 

Imelda narrowed her eyes. “You deserve a bit of punishment for gallivanting about town all afternoon and neglecting your work. It’s only because I am so benevolent that I’m not requiring you to skip your supper altogether.”

“That woman…” Rey muttered under her breath as Imelda spun around and left the blacksmithing shop. 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” Rose said, pressing a small package into Rey’s hands. “Here’s the last slice of cinnamon cake. Hopefully it will help tide you over until dinner.”

“I don’t deserve you, Rose,” Rey said, giving her friend a tight hug. “I wish you wouldn’t have told Imelda this was all your fault — we both know it was actually mine.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Rose said, squeezing Rey’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re all right after everything that happened. When you fell into the water, I...I feared that I might actually lose you.”

“Well, at least Mrs. Plutt was right about one thing — we were lucky that Ben was there,” Rey said, and then bit her lip, realizing that even saying his name brought back too many thoughts of lying on her back and staring up into his eyes right after he’d saved her. 

Rey thought Rose might tease her for bringing up Ben and using his informal nickname, rather than “Mr. Swann,” but surprisingly, the look in Rose’s eyes turned a little wistful. 

“I wish you were free to think of him the way you want to,” she said softly, and Rey feigned a puzzled look.

“What do you mean?” she said. “I’m thankful to him for saving me, that’s all.”

“It’s just…” The normally talkative, confident Rose was choosing her words very carefully, and it gave Rey a strange feeling. “I’ve been teasing you about being in love with Benjamin Swann, and I just wish that society allowed that to be possible. He’s a good man, Rey.”

“He is a good man — but I’m not…” Rey was surprised by the hesitation in her voice, and she shook her head, continuing with more confidence. “I’m not in love with him. I know the way the world works.”

Rose looked a little relieved, and she gave Rey one final hug. “I promise, I’ll stop teasing you about him then. And I’ll be back tomorrow with a strawberry tart for you — my parents have a new recipe they want to try at the bakery.”

After Rose left, Rey glanced around the blacksmithing shop and let out a long, slow sigh. Maybe it would be good to do some hard labor, to take her mind off the events of today. She could use a distraction right now. 

_I’m not in love with him…_

It was possible that, at this precise moment in time, that statement was true. But today she’d definitely felt things for Benjamin Swann that went far beyond what a respectable young lady should be thinking about a male acquaintance of hers. 

_I’m not in love with him…_

He was a nobleman, and she was a blacksmith’s assistant. Society saw that as too wide a gulf to cross. Governor Luke Swann would never allow it. Ben could never be more than an acquaintance to her. 

_I’m not in love with him…_

However, she knew that if she let down her guard too much, that could very well change. And that thought both terrified and thrilled her. 

***

Sitting in the dark, dank prison cell, Poe Dameron pondered his life choices that had led up to this moment and admitted to himself that he was a complete idiot. 

He should have listened to Finn. He’d pulled off plenty of insane plans before, but trying to commandeer the _HMS Supremacy_ was a step too far. Things had gone horribly wrong (just as Finn had predicted). Rey Turner had almost drowned, and now Poe was locked in the Port Royal jail, his beloved _Sea Falcon_ farther than ever from his reach. 

“Well Poe, I don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’” Finn finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. These were actually the first words Finn had spoken to him since they’d been thrown in jail together earlier this afternoon. “But you know what? I damn well told you so.”

“I know, I know,” Poe sighed. There was no point in trying to defend himself. “I concede that it could have gone much better.” 

Finn raised an eyebrow. “You think? I find it difficult to imagine how it could have gone much worse.”

Poe had initially felt guilty about taking Rey and Rose hostage, but he’d justified it to himself by promising that no actual harm would come to them. And then, Rey had fallen overboard and probably would have drowned if the governor’s nephew hadn’t come along. (There was definitely a suspicious amount of chemistry between those two; Poe had seen a very long and slightly breathless look pass between them on the dock.)

“I’m really sorry, Finn,” Poe said. He’d already apologized at least a dozen times already, but he felt like he still owed Finn more. “I’ll get us out of this.”

“You’ll have all night to plan something, because I doubt we’ll be getting much sleep in this uncomfortable cell,” Finn replied. Then his voice softened slightly and he added, “Look Poe, I know you didn’t mean for any of this to happen. The _Sea Falcon_ means more to you than anything in the world, and you feel like you can’t rest until you get her back. But after all that’s happened...maybe it really is time for you to think about letting her go.”

Finn knew better than anyone how important the _Sea Falcon_ was to Poe, and he wasn’t making that suggestion lightly. It meant that he truly did believe the _Sea Falcon_ was lost. 

And maybe he was right. 

Poe traced his finger along a crack in the stone wall of the prison, watching as the dying rays of sunlight filtered in through the cell’s tiny window. Perhaps he was being foolish, but as long as he was alive, he had to keep searching for the _Sea Falcon_. There was no replacement for her, and he couldn’t imagine being captain of any other ship. 

Still, he did need to put his thoughts of her aside for a little while. He could think of a new plan to hunt her down later; first, he owed it to Finn to find a way out of this bloody cell. 

Poe and Finn sat silently in the prison, watching the sunlight continue to fade. Despite the less than ideal accommodations, Poe actually was starting to get a little sleepy, and he was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open. He had almost drifted off into blissful unconsciousness when a cold gust of wind blew through the bars of the cell and startled him awake. 

He had no idea where this gust of wind had come from — certainly not from the tiny window above their heads. As far as he knew, the skies had been clear before this moment, but in the distance he could hear a rumble of thunder, and clouds moved across the sun, plunging the prison cell into shadowy darkness. 

Poe couldn’t see clearly enough to read the expression on Finn’s face, but he was certain that his first mate was thinking the same thing he was. There was something strange in the air; the world had suddenly shifted off balance, and this was more than a freak tropical storm.

“Do you think…” Finn’s voice was soft, and he couldn’t finish his thought. 

“It couldn’t be,” Poe said, but neither of them quite believed that. 

A flash of lightning momentarily lit up the inside of the cell, and Poe caught a glimpse of the fear in Finn’s eyes. Poe hoped they were wrong, but deep in their souls, they knew the truth. This “storm” was an omen...a harbinger of something much worse to come.

***

Ben threw on his nightclothes and climbed into bed shortly before midnight, his body physically exhausted but his mind still racing. He had no idea how to begin processing everything that had happened today, and every time he tried to think of something else, he found himself returning to his daydreams of Rey. 

He’d heard the rumbles of thunder and shut his windows to keep out the impending rain, but he left the drapes pulled back so he could watch the storm. He’d always been fascinated by thunderstorms, and as he lay in bed, he could see jagged bolts of lightning flashing in the night sky. 

Despite how tired Ben felt, sleep continued to elude him, and he turned over on his side in a fruitless attempt to make himself more comfortable. He desperately needed to get some sleep; his uncle had a big day planned for him tomorrow, including tea at the Bazine estate. Ben wasn’t sure how long he and Angelica should keep up the charade that they were open to courting each other. It was nice not having his uncle pester him about meeting new eligible young women, but the longer he led his uncle on, the worse it was going to be when he finally admitted he wasn’t going to marry Angelica Bazine. 

_But what_ are _you going to do?_ whispered that nagging voice inside him. _You can’t avoid your future forever._

What his heart wanted, more than anything, was to be with Rey, but he didn’t know how to make that happen. Even if he was willing to be disowned by his uncle (which would surely be the cost of his proposing to Rey), did Rey even return his feelings? Was he hoping in vain for something that could never be?

Sighing heavily and turning to his other side, Ben pulled the silver pirate medallion out of his pocket, and studied the unusual artwork on the pendant. He never did get a chance to give it back to Rey today. Was he doomed to keep holding onto it forever, as the only real connection to her that he’d ever possess? He couldn’t let that be the end to—

A loud crack of thunder suddenly shook the walls of the house — or at least, Ben thought it was thunder, until another blast a second later shook the walls even harder and nearly knocked a vase of flowers off his nightstand. 

_What the devil—_

Ben threw off his covers and darted towards the window, looking out over the harbor just in time to see a brilliant flash that wasn’t lightning followed by another deafening boom. 

This wasn’t part of the storm...it was an attack.

Some ship was firing on Port Royal, and while there was no way to tell exactly who it was, due to the darkness surrounding the harbor, who else could it be but pirates?

Ben stuffed the medallion into his pocket, pulled on a pair of pants underneath his nightshirt, and flung open the door to find the servants running through the house in a panic. He wanted to promise everyone that as long as they remained inside, they’d all be safe; after all, there was no way the pirate ship’s guns could reach all the way to the governor’s mansion. But still, he could feel a sense of dread coiling and churning in his stomach, that only got worse as he heard pounding on the front door. 

“Don’t answer that!” Ben called, stepping in front of the footman who was about to reach for the door handle, his face as pale as a ghost’s. Ben peered out through the front window and discovered that a cluster of sailors dressed in ragged clothes were gathered outside, bloodlust in their eyes. 

_Pirates._

Ben had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t know where his uncle was, and he wasn’t sure how to defend the house from whatever the pirates were planning. But he had to damn well do something. 

He reached for the decorative sword hanging above the mantle in the front hall, the one that his uncle had inherited from Ben’s grandfather. He told the servants to find what weapons they could and then make a break for the fort, which would presumably be safer and better defended than the governor’s mansion. 

“But what about you, Mr. Swann — aren’t you coming?” one of the footmen asked, and Ben shook his head. 

“I’ve got to find my uncle first. Don’t wait for me — everybody go!”

The footman disappeared down the hallway right as the pirates knocked the front door down and barged into the front hall. 

These pirates were definitely not the romantic sort of heroes Ben had enjoyed reading about in adventure tales; this was a nasty, leering lot that smelled so bad Ben started gagging before they even got close to him. They didn’t just stink — they literally smelled like a rotting corpse. 

“Oh look at the fancy lad, trying to defend his home!” one of the pirates mocked, and Ben glared back at him, trying to brandish his sword as menacingly as possible. He really wished he’d taken more sword-fighting lessons from Armitage Hux, but nothing could be done about that now. 

“You have no business here,” he said. “Get out of this house, and get out of Port Royal.”

The pirate who’d initially mocked him continued to sneer (Ben noticed the man was wearing an eye patch with a grisly scar running along the side of his face). “And who’s going to make us leave — you?” The pirate pulled out his pistol. “Let us pass, or we’ll blow you down and walk over your lifeless body.”

Ben gulped, trying not to let his fear show. He had a feeling that wasn’t just an idle threat; the pirates would have no qualms about killing him in order to get what they wanted. 

“Loot our possessions, I don’t care,” Ben said. “Just don’t harm the staff or the governor.”

One of the other pirates, who was wearing a moth-eaten hat, spat on the ground. “We aren’t here for gold or treasure. We need to speak to the governor.”

Ben had no bloody idea what these pirates wanted with the governor of Port Royal, but it couldn’t be for any good reason. He wasn’t about to let them into the same room with his uncle.

“He’s not here,” Ben lied. “He had business at the fort.”

“And you would know this...how?” Eye-Patch Pirate asked, looking skeptical, and Ben realized these people hadn’t yet recognized him. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not. 

“I’m his assistant,” Ben replied. “Benjamin…” 

He almost said “Swann,” but something — whether it was an inkling or instinct — made him stop. 

If he said his name was Benjamin Swann, then these pirates would know he was the nephew of the governor. They might decide to hold him hostage and try to use him to manipulate his uncle Luke. But if he pretended to be a regular staff member, with no ties to the governor…

“I’m Benjamin—” He hesitated again, searching for a name and then finally blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m Benjamin Turner.”

The pirates’ demeanor suddenly changed, and their grins all disappeared as they whispered excitedly amongst themselves.

“Turner, you said?” Eye-Patch asked, attempting not to sound too eager but not really succeeding. “Were you born here in Port Royal, then?”

“No, I came from London,” Ben said, wondering why in the world they’d want to know a seemingly irrelevant detail like that. He grew even more confused as he noticed how that admission made the pirates even more excited. 

“The story seems to fit,” a pirate with a peg leg muttered to his companions. “Could we really be that lucky? The captain is going to be thrilled!”

“What if it’s not the right bloodline?” Eye-Patch argued. “If we get it wrong again, the captain will make us pay. You remember what happened to Jim. I say we search young Mr. Turner, and see if we can find any proof.”

Ben wasn’t sure why he did it; he wasn’t even really aware that he was moving as his hand slipped into his pocket and clutched the medallion. It was almost as if the medallion wanted to be found by the pirates, but that was too ridiculous a thought. It was just an inanimate object...wasn’t it?

“What have you got there?” Eye-Patch barked, roughly grabbing Ben’s wrist and forcing him to open his hand. 

The pirates couldn’t keep themselves from gasping in wonder as they saw the silver medallion resting in Ben’s hand, and Eye-Patch’s eyes lit up with a disturbing sense of glee. 

“Well, well, well...it appears this IS the Turner we were looking for.”

“I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” Ben asked. “I don’t have any idea what’s going on here. What’s this medallion? Why does my last name matter so much?”

“Your family never told you the truth, eh?” Eye-Patch grinned wickedly. “Well, there’ll be plenty of time for the captain to tell you the whole tale once we get you on the ship.”

“I’m not going with you,” Ben said, raising his sword again. He wished he would have taken a swipe at Eye-Patch when he had the chance; he couldn’t believe he’d just let the pirate waltz up and grab him by the wrist. This medallion seemed to have some sort of strange, bewitching power over all of them, and Ben didn’t like it. 

“You’re welcome to try to fight us,” Eye-Patch said with a dismissive laugh. “But you’ve no hope of knocking down all of us. Why don’t you just be a good lad, and come with us calmly? The sooner you cooperate, the sooner our ship can stop bombarding Port Royal. The captain’ll stop the guns as soon as we’re back on board the ship.”

“Really?” Ben found it hard to believe the pirates would just break off their attack. He suspected they had plenty of pillaging left to do.

However, Eye-Patch seemed completely serious, and Ben could see no hint of a lie in his eyes as the pirate said, “Why would we need to keep attacking the city? We’ve found what we came for.”

Ben was more confused — and terrified — than ever; why were the pirates so excited to have found “Benjamin Turner,” governor’s assistant? Still, he considered the pirates’ promise; if he complied, then the barrage of cannon fire would stop. He knew that the governor’s mansion was safe from the firefight, but Rey’s blacksmith shop was closer to the harbor, and much more vulnerable. If it was within his power to stop the attack, then he had to do it, no matter what it required of him. He’d find some way out of this — even if at the moment he didn’t fully understand the mess he’d gotten himself into. 

“You have a deal then,” Ben said. “But I’m keeping the medallion with me.”

“That’s fine by me; we won’t be needin’ it yet,” Eye-Patch replied with a nod, then turned to the other pirates. “Come on, boys, it’s time to escort the prisoner back to the ship!”

***

Rey Turner awoke with a start as the pirate ship fired its first round of cannonballs at Port Royal. During Rey’s time here, pirates had never been bold enough to attack the city itself, and Rey could soon hear the screams and cries of the townspeople as they fled in terror from the harbor. 

Rey leapt out of bed, grabbing the dagger she kept hidden under her pillow, and strapped her sword belt around her waist. The sword wasn’t anything fancy; it had been one of her early blacksmithing projects, and Plutt had pronounced it “not well-made enough to sell.” But it would work well enough now to help her defend herself. 

Rey slept in a loft above the blacksmithing shop, and her first order of business was to run over to the main house and check on the Plutts. However, her intentions to help them were in vain; at the sound of cannon fire, the Plutts had run out of their home, leaving Rey behind without a second thought. Rey supposed she shouldn’t be too surprised the Plutts would look out only for themselves, but she couldn’t help heaving a little sigh of frustration as she turned and ran back out of the house. 

Rey didn’t like leaving the blacksmithing shop undefended, but there was something much more important to look after right now — the Tico family. Their bakery was even closer to the harbor than the blacksmithing shop, and if the pirates decided to come on land for some pillaging, Rey wasn’t about to let them lay a finger on the Ticos or the bakery. They’d worked too hard to make their little shop a success. 

Rey ran through the streets, dodging overturned carts and other debris cluttering the path in front of her. She could smell the scent of gunpowder in the air, and soon saw the fort returning fire at the pirates. 

She finally made it to the Tico bakery and pounded on the door, only to be greeted by a sharp, “Go away! You have no business here!”

“It’s me!” she called out, trying to raise her voice above the roaring cannons, and the door immediately opened and Rose pulled Rey into a tight hug. 

“Oh Rey, I was so worried — we were just getting ready to go check on you,” Rose said, and Paige nodded. 

“Do you have any idea what’s happening?”

“Pirates,” Rey said grimly. “That’s what it has to be.”

“My father wants to go to the fort, but my mother wants to stay here and defend the shop,” Rose said. “You don’t think pirates will come here...do you?”

Rey wouldn’t think so, but before tonight, she wouldn’t have guessed that pirates would be bold enough to attack the city of Port Royal, either. 

“I’m going to go climb up on the roof, to keep a lookout,” Rey told the Ticos. “If I see any pirates coming, I’ll let you know. For now, stay inside, and put out all the candles.”

The Ticos nodded fearfully as Rey dashed upstairs and popped up through the little trap door leading to the roof. As she looked out over Port Royal, she could see columns of smoke rising up from burning buildings scattered along the harbor, and she could still hear the pirate ship and the fort exchanging cannon fire. 

She suddenly caught sight of movement in the street below her, and her heart started to pound as she saw a group of roughly-dressed sailors marching quickly through the streets. She couldn’t be sure, but their swords and pistols made her wonder if they were part of the pirate attack. 

“Hey, let go of my arm — you don’t have to drag me along. I said I would surrender and come to your ship!”

Rey felt like her heart had stopped, and she nearly fell off the roof in shock. It was difficult to tell in the darkness, but that voice sounded very much like...Benjamin Swann? 

One of the pirates was carrying a torch, and as he swung around, Rey found that her fears were true: somehow, Ben had been captured by these pirates. 

“Ben!” Rey cried out, and all the pirates turned towards her. The one with the torch (who was also wearing an eye patch) swore and called out, “Move it — we’re almost there!”

Rey could feel herself trembling as she ran up to the edge of the roof and peered down over the edge. It wasn’t an incredibly far drop, but she was liable to break a leg if she just jumped. 

Now she was the one to curse, as she had to run back down the stairs and out into the street, trying to guess which way the pirates had gone. She took off towards the harbor, and although she could hear the Tico family calling after her, trying to find out what was wrong, she was too distracted to respond. 

She followed the path down to the water that she guessed the pirates would have taken, but she was too late. She couldn’t find Ben anywhere, and she noticed, belatedly, that all the cannon fire had stopped. 

She stood by the water, looking around helplessly, as her city burned and she tried to process the fact that Ben was gone. 

What the devil was she going to do?


	5. Spectres on the Tide

Ben had spent many years fantasizing about an adventure on the high seas, but not like this. 

He had no interest in being kidnapped by a bunch of crazy pirates who believed there was a strange significance behind the false name he’d give them: “Benjamin Turner.” 

Part of him wondered if this was just a strange dream, and soon he would wake up back in his bed at the governor’s mansion, his uncle Luke knocking on the door and warning that they were about to be late for tea at the Bazine estate. 

Unfortunately, this all felt a little too real, and as Eye-Patch and the other pirates marched him up the gangplank, he wondered not for the first time — and certainly not for the last — if he’d made a mistake in lying about his name. He thought he’d be protecting himself by hiding his true identity as the governor’s nephew, but maybe he’d put himself in worse danger by claiming to be Ben Turner, a name that apparently meant something important to these pirates. Regardless, he had a feeling that admitting he’d lied about his name would land him in even more trouble, and so now he had no choice but to continue the ruse. 

Although the thunderstorm that had swept across the island appeared to be dying down, clouds still obscured the moon and stars. Eye-Patch dragged Ben roughly across the deck as he shouted for the other pirates to raise the anchor and “get the hell out of Port Royal.” He definitely seemed to be the man in charge and Ben would have assumed he was the captain, if Eye-Patch hadn’t previously referenced the captain waiting back on the ship. Ben overheard someone calling Eye-Patch “First Mate Canady” and wondered if maybe the captain was a recluse who let Canady call most of the shots. 

“When do I get to see the captain?” Ben asked, and Canady practically growled at him. Ben knew he was in no position to be making demands, but he didn’t appreciate being treated like a helpless captive. At least he still had control of the silver medallion, an object the pirates seemed to want very much. 

“You’ll see the captain when the captain’s good and ready to see you,” Canady snarled. “He’s been informed you’re on board and will entertain you in his quarters when he decides the time is right.”

“Isn’t it rude to keep your guest waiting?” Ben shot back. He was treading on dangerous ground but at the moment he didn’t particularly care. “You seemed to be in such a rush to present me to your captain back when you first kidnapped me. Maybe he’s a little disappointed, and I’m not the prize you thought I was or—”

“Well, he certainly has spirit, doesn’t he, Canady?”

Both Ben and Canady’s postures involuntarily stiffened as they heard the voice behind them, and they slowly turned around. The crews’ raucous shouting immediately quieted, and they all stepped back to the railing to clear a path for the new pirate striding across the deck. 

A man (who Ben assumed could only be the captain) walked towards them, a dangerous smile on his face. He was wearing a long coat made of burgundy velvet with a gold-colored shirt underneath. The coat had shiny gold buttons and gold embroidery, and a feathered hat topped off what was honestly the most ostentatious outfit Ben had ever seen. The pirate captain had long blond hair and a facial scar even more impressive than Canady’s. Ben could tell by the other pirates’ response to this man that they both respected and feared him.

“I’m Captain James Snoke, and welcome to the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Snoke told Ben with a mocking bow. “You must be young Master Turner.”

“Yes,” Ben blurted out, not really sure what else he could say. It was definitely too late — and too dangerous — to admit he was Benjamin Swann now. “And I’d like to know why I’ve been kidnapped.”

Captain Snoke turned towards Canady with a condescending laugh that made Ben bristle. “You know, Canady, I thought this boy might be bluffing, out of a youthful impulse to be difficult, but I think he really is as clueless as he seems.”

Snoke glanced back at Ben, his eyes flashing with an eerie sense of curiosity. “Let’s see the medallion, Mr. Turner.”

“And hand over my most valuable bargaining chip?” Ben tried to sound as brave as he could, and not allow this Captain Snoke to see even a hint of just how scared he really was. “I need some assurances from you first that Port Royal will be safe from further attacks.”

A slow smile spread across Snoke’s lips, and if Ben didn’t know better, he’d say that the captain almost looked...impressed. 

“You’ve got your mother’s boldness, I’ll give you that,” Snoke said, and Ben blinked in surprise. For a second he thought the captain meant his mother, Leia, and then realized there was no possible way this pirate could have connected the two of them, when he believed Ben’s last name was actually Turner. But then did that mean...

Before Ben could ask another question, Snoke continued. “Canady already gave his word that we’d leave Port Royal behind if you consented to come with us, and we’ll keep that promise.”

In spite of the danger in which he remained, Ben felt relief at that; at least Rey and his uncle would be safe. But as for his own fate…

“What’s going to happen to me?” Ben asked, watching Port Royal disappear behind the horizon as the _Sea Falcon_ slipped through the dark ocean waters. “Why is it important that I’m a Turner? And what do the symbols on the medallion mean?”

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you everything — though I’m terribly disappointed your mother never mentioned the _Sea Falcon_ or its fine crew.” The other pirates grumbled their agreement. “But…” Snoke added, “It’s a very long story and it’s been a very tiring day. Why don’t you and Canady join me in my cabin for dinner, and then we’ll talk.”

“I assume that’s an invitation I can’t refuse,” Ben said, and Snoke laughed. 

“Smart lad. I promise, all your questions will be addressed...though you might not like the answers.”

The other pirates joined in Snoke’s laughter, and Ben felt his skin crawl. Something very strange was going on here, and he didn’t like it, but at this point he had no choice but to play along. 

“I can handle the truth,” Ben told Captain Snoke, although he had no idea if that was actually true. 

***

Rey Turner didn’t bother knocking on the door to Governor Luke Swann’s mansion, and no one bothered to stop her from barging in. 

Despite the late hour, the entire household was awake, just like the rest of Port Royal. The pirate attack might be over, but the aftermath certainly wasn’t. Although Rey knew she was breaking all kinds of social rules by entering the governor’s mansion uninvited, she didn’t have time for propriety right now. Ben was missing, and Rey may have just uncovered a clue that could help find him. 

As Rey hurried through the front hallway, she could hear loud voices in the drawing room having what appeared to be a very heated discussion. 

“I want my nephew safely returned to me, using any means necessary!” 

Rey walked into the drawing room in time to see Luke slam his fist down on the table. She had never seen the governor this distressed before, and she felt a pang as she realized how traumatizing this must be for him. Luke might not like her very much (or appreciate her connection to his nephew), but he clearly cared about Ben and was very concerned about his disappearance. 

Luke was currently facing Admiral Brendol Hux and his son, the newly minted Commodore Armitage Hux, the latter of which looked just as distressed as Luke. Brendol Hux appeared much more pragmatic about the situation, and Rey had a feeling he was more upset about the pirates attacking Port Royal than the missing governor’s nephew. 

“I promise you, the Royal Navy will do everything in its power to find him,” Brendol said. “However, I must remind you that we have a great many concerns to deal with following this attack, including retribution for the pirates who are behind this. I can’t make any guarantees that…”

The admiral’s voice trailed off as he suddenly noticed Rey standing in front of them. 

“Pardon me, Governor,” Brendol addressed Luke. “I didn’t realize you had another visitor.” His tone was somewhat accusing as he stared at Rey, as if he knew she didn’t really belong here.

“Miss Turner,” Luke said, looking surprised. “I...I am grateful you safely survived this horrible attack.” At least Luke was trying to be a more decent person, unaware that Brendol continued to stare at her disdainfully. 

“Governor, I saw the pirates who kidnapped your nephew,” Rey said, and then noticed the flash of fear in Luke’s eyes. He’d probably suspected his nephew had been taken by the pirates, but to hear it confirmed was obviously a blow. 

“I tried to follow them,” Rey went on, “but I couldn’t get there in time.”

“Thank you for that eyewitness account,” Brendol said, his tone remaining dismissive. “Now if you’ll please excuse us, the governor and I have some very important matters to discuss—”

“Well, I know something important about the ship that attacked Port Royal and the pirates who kidnapped Ben,” Rey cut in, forcing her way back into the conversation. “When I was down at the harbor, I heard some people saying that the pirate ship that fired on Port Royal was called the _Sea Falcon_. Right now, in the Port Royal jail, there’s a man named Poe Dameron who claims to be the former captain of the _Sea Falcon_ ; maybe he can help us track down the pirates who took Ben.”

Rey saw a little flicker of hope kindling in Luke’s eyes, but Brendol quickly shut her down. “Yes, I’m well aware of Poe Dameron and his claims of notoriety. I will not be needing his help on this military operation.”

“But—” Rey tried to protest, and Luke gently put his hand on her shoulder. 

“Thank you, Miss Turner,” he said, and Rey could tell he meant it sincerely. “Your concern for my nephew is admirable. But I believe Admiral Hux has everything well in hand. I’m sure my nephew will be home soon.”

Rey glanced over at Brendol’s stern, expressionless face and tried to fight back her rising temper. Poe Dameron wasn’t exactly her best friend (far from it, actually), but if the pirate could help find Ben, shouldn’t they at least try to talk to him?

“Governor, please, I really think you should—”

“That’s enough,” Brendol snapped, and though both Luke and Armitage flinched, neither seemed bold enough to stand up to the admiral. 

Her face flushing bright red, Rey turned around and stormed out of the mansion as fast as she could, her feelings of frustration and helplessness muddling together. 

She felt like she couldn’t just leave Ben to his fate, especially not after he’d risked so much to save her own life earlier today when she’d fallen into the sea. If she’d been the one kidnapped by the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ , Ben would have done whatever it took to help her...no matter what his uncle or the admiral said. 

Rey was so caught up in her flurry of thoughts that she didn’t see Rose Tico walking up to the governor’s mansion, and nearly ran right into her best friend. 

“Rose, what are you doing here?” Rey exclaimed, and Rose gave her friend a hug, her eyes filling with relief. 

“I’ve been looking all over Port Royal for you,” Rose said. “When I heard that Benjamin Swann had been kidnapped, I figured you might come here to talk to his uncle.”

“Then you know that the ship that attacked Port Royal is Poe Dameron’s old ship, the _Sea Falcon_?” Rey asked, and Rose nodded. 

“I’m guessing you tried to share that information with the governor...and judging by your expression, it wasn’t well received.”

Rey let out an exasperated sigh. “Admiral Brendol Hux is absolutely insufferable; the governor was interested in learning more about the _Sea Falcon_ , but the admiral seems to have his own ‘plan.’ I don’t think he really cares about Ben at all.”

“So, are we going to the prison ourselves to talk to Poe Dameron right now, or should we wait until morning?” Rose asked, and Rey gave her friend a puzzled look. 

“What do you mean?”

“Rey, I know you,” Rose said, taking her friend by the hand. “And that look in your eyes tells me that you’re not about to give up on Ben, even if the admiral and the governor won’t listen to you.”

“I can’t ask you to join me and risk getting in trouble,” Rey said. “Especially after everything that’s already happened today.”

Rose, however, was determined. “Well, I’m not allowing you to go alone, and you won’t change my mind. So, when are we going to the prison: tonight or tomorrow?”

Rey didn’t even have to think about her answer. “Tonight — I don’t think we can afford to waste any time.”

***

On an ordinary night, two young women probably would have had a difficult time slipping into the Port Royal prison unnoticed. But the guards were still occupied with the aftermath of the pirate attack, and Rey and Rose were able to sneak through an opening a cannonball had blown through the stone wall of the prison. 

Rey could hear incessant dripping somewhere in the distance as she and Rose sneaked through the prison, and she smelled a hint of mildew. A few torches still burned on the walls to light their way, but Rey was actually grateful a number of them had gone out. That made it much easier for her and Rose to hide in the shadows. 

Rey found a block of cells and noticed that two of the three were empty; apparently, another cannonball had opened a hole in the cell wall and allowed all the prisoners in those two cells to escape. In the remaining cell, she could hear Poe Dameron complaining about his misfortune. 

“Of course it would be my luck to be trapped in the one damn cell that remained intact!” Poe remarked. “Everybody else gets to escape, while we’re still rotting away here. Maybe I am cursed...”

“Poe Dameron!”

At the sound of Rey’s voice, Poe’s complaint trailed off, and he stepped closer to the bars of his cell, peering outside in surprise. 

“Rey Turner? What the devil are you doing here? I’m pretty sure you told me I could rot in hell and that you never wanted to see me again. Did you change your mind?”

“You were the captain of the _Sea Falcon_ , correct?” Rey asked, deciding that they didn’t have time for a lengthy explanation of how and why she was here. 

“Yes,” Poe said slowly. “Finn is my first mate and—”

“The ship that attacked Port Royal tonight was the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Rey said, and she found it intriguing that Poe didn’t look as surprised by that fact as she’d assumed. “They’ve kidnapped the governor’s nephew, Benjamin Swann.”

“Ah…” Poe said, his voice turning thoughtful. “I think I understand now. You want to rescue handsome Mr. Swann but because no one else will listen to you, you need my help.”

Rey hoped that the torchlight wasn’t bright enough for Poe to see the way her cheeks had suddenly reddened. “The governor and the Navy don’t think we need your assistance, but you know more about the _Sea Falcon_ than anyone in Port Royal.”

“That’s certainly true,” Poe said, leaning against the bars of the cell door and continuing to study her. “However...I’m not sure how much incentive there is for me to help you, seeing as I’m still very much locked away.”

Rey and Rose glanced at each other. On their way to the prison, they had discussed the fact that Poe would probably want something in return for helping them, and that was undoubtedly going to be freeing him from his cell. So far, Rey and Rose hadn’t broken any laws (even if barging into the governor’s mansion was a social faux pas). However, breaking two pirates out of prison most definitely was a serious crime...and Rey didn’t want to think about the severity of the punishment if they got caught. 

“If you break me out of this cell, I could see us forming a partnership,” Poe went on. “I want the _Sea Falcon_ back, and you want Benjamin Swann — and if we find one of them, we find the other. But you’ll have to be the one to get me out of prison first.”

Rey knew that this was her last moment to back out, to walk away and return home and trust that the Royal Navy would do its work and rescue Ben, using their own (and much more legal) methods. If her father was still alive, he’d be devastated that she’d even considered asking pirates for help. And yet...she realized she could never live with herself if she didn’t take this chance to save Ben. If this was the price it took to rescue him...well, she was willing to pay it, and Rose had already agreed that she was willing to pay it as well. 

Rey grabbed a wooden bench across from the cell and stuck the legs of the bench through the bars of the cell door. She’d actually helped Cornelius Plutt construct these cell doors, and she knew that with the proper leverage and pressure, you could pop the door clean off. 

Sure enough, the metal grate was soon free of the wall, and Poe darted out. For a moment, Rey was afraid he was just going to run away and back out of their bargain, but then he turned back to her and motioned for the others to follow him. 

“Come on, hurry! What if someone heard that commotion? You don’t want to get caught before we even get out of Port Royal, do you?”

“We’ll find your friend,” Finn promised Rey and Rose quietly, and Rey prayed that he was right...and that she hadn’t just made the worst mistake of her life by trusting these pirates. 

***

Ben had assumed that the pirates would throw him in the brig as soon as they got back to the _Sea Falcon_. He certainly hadn’t anticipated that the captain would actually invite him to a fancy dinner. 

Ben currently sat across from Captain Snoke and First Mate Canady at a small dining table in the captain’s cabin. It was quite a contrast from the captain’s quarters on the _HMS Supremacy_. This was a place of sumptuous — perhaps even excessive — luxury. Hanging lanterns filled the cabin with a soft, warm glow, and the table was set with fine china embellished with gold designs. The meal itself looked expensive — almost better than some of the dinners his uncle Luke had hosted at the governor’s mansion — with roast turkey, meat pies, and candied fruits. Ben wondered where they’d gotten such an assortment of rich food on board a ship; maybe they’d stolen it from Port Royal right before setting sail, which could explain why it still looked so fresh. 

Ben didn’t want to appear too eager to accept the captain’s hospitality, but as soon as he smelled the rich spices, his stomach started to growl. He quickly polished off his slice of meat pie and washed it down with what was, quite possibly, the best wine he’d ever tasted. It wasn’t until he started in on the turkey that he realized he was the only one eating. Snoke and Canady both had plates sitting in front of them, but they were empty. 

Ben slowly set down his fork, his stomach twisting in dread. “Is this a trap?” he asked, looking back and forth between Snoke and Canady, and searching for any hint that he’d been tricked. “Are you trying to poison me?”

Snoke chuckled. “Mr. Turner, really — there’s no need to be this paranoid. Why would we go to all the trouble of kidnapping you from Port Royal, just to bring you on board and poison you? I assure you, the food is perfectly safe. Please, keep eating; we only want the best for our guest.”

Although Ben believed Snoke about the food, his appetite was gone now, and he left the turkey untouched. “First Mate Canady promised that once I was on board, you’d tell me the full story of why you need me here, and why the name ‘Turner’ seems to matter so much to you all.”

“I told you he was clueless, Cap’n,” Canady muttered, but Snoke waved at his first mate to be silent. 

“Well, it’s fortunate for you that I enjoy telling stories,” Snoke said. “Especially long, complicated ones, which this story most certainly is.” He leaned back in his chair, and Ben didn’t care for the subtly malicious smile on the captain’s face. He looked a little too eager to start telling this story. Ben remembered the captain warning him that he may not like the answers to his questions…

“Once upon a time, this ship belonged to ne’er-do-well Poe Dameron,” Snoke said, and Ben blinked in surprise. Wasn’t that the pirate Rey had encountered earlier today, and who was now in the Port Royal jail? “Dameron never deserved to be captain, and never deserved this fine ship. I was very happy to take her off him and promote myself from first mate to captain.”

“Dameron always was too weak and sentimental,” Canady interjected, and Snoke’s eyes flashed. He clearly didn’t like being interrupted while he was pontificating. He wanted to keep all the attention directed at himself. In another man, that level of vanity could have come across as ridiculous, but even when he was smiling, Snoke never let you forget just how dangerous he was.

“Everything was going so well,” Snoke continued. “Under my leadership as captain, the _Sea Falcon_ was finally viewed with the fear and respect that she deserved. But alas, my crew and I did fall victim to our own hubris, and we went after a treasure that threatened to utterly ruin us.”

Snoke at last took a sip from his wine glass, and Ben noticed an almost imperceptible grimace, as if the taste of the wine displeased him. Ben couldn’t imagine why; even Hux’s ceremony at the fort hadn’t included wine this exceptional. 

“Have you ever heard of the Nightsisters, Mr. Turner?” Snoke asked, and Ben shook his head in confusion. 

“They are a powerful race of witches,” Snoke explained. “As terrible and ancient as some of the creatures lurking in the darkest depths of the ocean. Even pirates are afraid of their magic.”

“Magic?” Ben asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you actually expect me to believe that. Look, I love fairy tales and all, but there’s no magic in the real world.”

“And you’re absolutely sure of that?” Snoke’s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light, as he leaned forward and stared deep into Ben’s eyes. Ben felt a sudden flicker of doubt, but he pushed it aside.

“Yes — I don’t believe in witches or magic,” Ben said. “But I’ll humor you; tell me how the Nightsisters explain your reason for bringing me here.”

“Oh, I’ll get to that,” Snoke said, clearly unwilling to be rushed and determined to tell his story with as much flourish as possible. “Legend tells of a treasure hidden by the Nightsisters on the Isla de Muerta — an island of death. The treasure was a chest of silver coins given to the leader of the Nightsisters as a gift from a former lover. When that lover betrayed her, the Nightsister queen cursed the treasure, dooming anyone who would try to take the coins for themselves.

“My crew and I, we found that treasure, and like you, we were skeptical of the curse. We thought we had found the greatest treasure ever hidden in the Caribbean, and we assumed we could take this silver and live like kings. But we should have paid those ancient legends more heed, because the curse...well, it was real.”

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his chair, trying not to let his impatience show. What was the point of this bloody story? When would Snoke actually explain why he was here?

“We didn’t realize it at first,” Snoke said. “We sailed straight for Tortuga and started spending our silver on food, drink, and pleasurable company. Then we began to realize, no matter how much we spent, no matter how much we indulged ourselves, we were never satisfied. Food and drink turned to ash in our mouths, and kisses tasted like bitter poison. The curse made us feel like death...and yet we could not die.”

Ben wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of this tale, to stand up, march out of the captain’s cabin, and refuse to listen to another second of this. But he had yet to catch any hint of deception in Snoke’s eyes, and he couldn’t forget that grimace Snoke had made when tasting the wine that Ben himself had found so delicious. 

“As soon as we realized what we had done, we sailed straight back to the Isla de Muerta, to return all the stolen silver and break the curse,” Snoke said. “As the curse was forged with blood magic, we thought blood could undo it. But we were missing an important piece. We needed a blood sacrifice from each pirate that helped steal the silver, and Kira Turner was...well...no longer with us. She’d also hidden one piece of cursed silver...the medallion you’ve so conveniently now returned to us.”

Snoke looked at Ben, as if expecting him to have a reaction to the name Kira Turner. Ben stared at him blankly, and then all of a sudden, it hit him. 

When Snoke had told Ben he had the same boldness as “his mother,” he must have meant Kira Turner. The pirates had been looking for a Turner child born in London who had sailed to Port Royal, and that must mean they were actually looking for _Rey_ Turner. Rey’s mother was this Kira Turner...who was a pirate. And it was Kira Turner who had given her daughter the strange silver medallion that was now in his pocket. 

“It was a pity,” Snoke said. “We thought Kira Turner was one of the best of us. She left her husband and child in London to sail the seas with us, and helped us in the mutiny against Dameron. But, apparently guilt was eating away at her all that time, and she refused to help us break the curse. Said we deserved the punishment we’d received. She disappeared from Tortuga and hasn’t been seen since. It was Canady, actually, who thought she might have sent the coin to her child, and we thought, what if we could find the child and use their blood to break the curse instead?”

“Then that means…” Ben’s voice trailed off, as he realized the full implications of what Snoke was implying. They thought because he was a Turner, his blood could be used to break this curse in place of his mother’s. They had no idea they should actually be looking for a young woman, and they would be livid the second they found out that he wasn’t the right Turner. 

Ben shook his head. He still didn’t believe one word of this curse, but it was clear that the pirates did. What if they actually tried to take him to the Isla de Muerta, and were planning to use him in some unholy ritual involving a blood sacrifice or—

“You still don’t believe any of this, do you?” Snoke said, looking disappointed. “Such a modern man, so resistant to believe in the supernatural. Perhaps I’ll have to actually show you.”

Snoke nodded at Canady, who wordlessly stood and looked out the window. Ben could see that the clouds had finally parted, revealing a full moon shining in the night sky. 

Snoke apparently saw exactly what he wanted. “Why don’t you step outside the cabin, Ben?” he asked, and Ben felt a cold sliver snaking its way up his spine. He had no reason to be so suddenly afraid, and yet he found that he was. 

“If you don’t believe in curses or ghosts or witches or blood magic, prove it,” Snoke insisted. “Step outside this cabin, and tell me what you see.” 

Ben didn’t want to do it. But he could see Canady slowly reaching for his knife and realized that if he didn’t go of his own accord, the pirates would force him. 

His hands trembling, Ben pushed himself up from his chair and slowly walked towards the door of the cabin. Each step felt like it took a lifetime, but finally his hand closed around the doorknob, and he slowly turned it. 

He could hear Snoke laughing as the wooden door creaked open, and then Ben stumbled backwards in horror and disbelief. 

His mind couldn’t quite accept what he was witnessing, but he knew his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Whether Snoke had told him the truth about everything, he still didn’t know, but the captain had clearly been right about one thing — the curse WAS real. 

The pirates standing on the deck, who had looked like ordinary sailors when they’d captured him, had been transformed into something macabre and otherworldly. They now appeared to him as rotting skeletons wreathed with green mist that glowed faintly in the darkness. 

Ben whirled around just as Snoke and Canady stepped outside the cabin, and he watched, mute with terror, as the moonlight also turned them into wraiths. Snoke’s burgundy coat shriveled into moth-eaten rags, all his finery vanishing instantly. 

“The moonlight reveals us for what we truly are,” Snoke said, gesturing towards his crew of ghosts. “The damned and the undead. We feared we were doomed to live like this forever, but you, Mr. Turner, have finally brought us hope. With your medallion and your blood, we can be human again.”

Ben still couldn’t speak, and Canady laughed at his obvious fright. 

“Believe in ghost stories now, Mr. Turner?” he asked, and with that, Ben turned and ran back into the captain’s cabin, barring the door behind him as the skeleton pirates continued to fill the night with their laughter.


	6. The Island of Death

Commodore Armitage Hux stood on the dock at the Port Royal harbor, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched his ship, the _HMS Supremacy_ , sail away from him and towards the sunrise. 

He knew that he would pay dearly if the Royal Navy found out that it was him who allowed pirate Poe Dameron and his first mate Finn to escape with the _Supremacy_. Even if he was able to convince his father that it was an “accident,” he risked at best an angry lecture and at worst demotion and disgrace.

Hux loathed pirates — as any good officer in the Royal Navy was supposed to. However, Poe Dameron was, at the moment, the best option for finding and rescuing Benjamin Swann, and Hux was willing to do whatever it took to bring his best friend home.

There was the added complication that Dameron and his first mate weren’t the only ones involved in the scheme to steal the _Supremacy_ and search for Ben. Ben’s secret love, Rey Turner, and her best friend, Rose Tico, had thrown their lot in with the pirates, and by stealing the _Supremacy_ they were committing an act of piracy themselves and the punishment for that was hanging. 

Hux doubted that Rey actually wanted to be a pirate, but, like Hux himself, she’d understood that Dameron was her best shot at saving Ben. Consequences be damned — she was willing to risk her own life to do what she thought was right. 

As soon as Hux’s father had told Rey to leave the governor’s mansion, Hux had suspected that Rey would head straight to the Port Royal prison and seek Poe’s help on her own. The would-be rescuers would need a ship in order to go after Ben, and since Dameron had tried (unsuccessfully) to steal the _Supremacy_ earlier in the day, Hux figured they would try to steal it again. 

He could have sent more soldiers to guard the _Supremacy_ , could have warned his father that Rey might try to take matters into her own hands. But he cared too much about Ben to risk getting in her way, and so he had allowed events to play out as if he had no idea what might happen. Besides, Ben would never forgive Hux if Rey was caught and hanged for piracy, and Hux would never forgive himself. 

Dameron had tied up the two soldiers standing guard on the _Supremacy_ , leaving them sitting near the dock in a doorway that had an awning, so they wouldn’t get wet if it started to rain again. It was a surprisingly thoughtful thing to do, which made Hux wonder if not all pirates were truly the nasty, scheming bastards his father had always claimed they were. 

Hux had spent his entire life trying to please his father and make him proud, with mixed results. His father was a Naval officer who hunted pirates, so Hux had sought the same career path. He never spoke out against his father, even if he disagreed with something his father said. He played the role of dutiful son to perfection, determined not to give his father a single reason to resent him. 

And yet resent him, Admiral Brendol Hux still did. Hux knew the rumors that Brendol’s wife, Maratelle, was not his real mother, and while Brendol had never directly spoken to his son of this, no one could deny that Hux didn’t look anything like Maratelle. 

Hux had never met the kitchen maid who was supposedly his real mother. She’d been sent away immediately after giving birth, and Brendol had never even told Hux her name. Hux thought about her sometimes, wondering what had happened to her and if she ever grieved for her lost son. Hux had never said this out loud, but sometimes he wished that he’d been sent away with her. He suspected that Brendol had only kept him because he needed a son and heir, all the while still despising his son because he was a bastard. Supposedly Brendol had once been in love with the kitchen maid, but something must have happened to turn Brendol into the hard, unforgiving man he was now. 

Hux knew that his father would expect him to try to chase down the _Supremacy_ and win it back, and Hux would be forced to comply if he was going to have any kind of future in the Royal Navy. However, he was determined to give Poe, Rey, Rose, and Finn at least a small head start before reporting the _Supremacy_ as stolen. If he was lucky, Poe would get his own ship, the _Sea Falcon_ , back, and then just leave the _Supremacy_ for Hux to find and recover. Ben would be saved, no one would be hanged, and Hux would still have his career. 

Hux watched the ship until it finally disappeared over the horizon, and then he took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and preparing to face the task ahead. He knew he was putting his entire career on the line here, but if it got Ben back to Port Royal safely, well, it would be worth it. He just hoped that Rey and her friend Rose wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire. 

***

Rey couldn’t believe that they’d actually done it — she’d just helped two pirates steal the pride and joy of His Majesty’s Royal Navy, the _HMS Supremacy_. She, Rose, Poe, and Finn had sailed the ship out of the Port Royal harbor at dawn, and now all she could do was trust Poe to take them to Ben and hope that the Royal Navy couldn’t catch up to them. 

“Look at us, Finn!” Poe declared from the wheel of the ship, a brisk sea breeze blowing through his black hair as he raised his hands triumphantly. “We made it out of Port Royal with the _Supremacy_ after all. I told you my plan would work!”

“With some significant assistance,” Finn added pointedly, glancing over at Rey and Rose. “We should be very grateful they were still willing to help us after we tried to kidnap them.”

“Believe me, if I had any other choice but Poe Dameron, I would have taken it,” Rey muttered, leaning against the railing and staring at the waves lapping at the sides of the ship. 

“Well, we’re all stuck with each other now,” Poe said, shooting Finn a glare as his first mate chuckled at Rey’s comment. “And please keep in mind that while yes, we couldn’t have gotten out of prison without you, you’d never find your bonny lad without me. So maybe a little appreciation would be nice.”

“Speaking of Ben, how exactly are we going to track down the pirates who kidnapped him?” Rey asked, and Poe motioned for Finn to come take over the wheel for him so he could come down to the main deck to explain his plan to Rey. Since Rose had always been curious about all things mechanical, she went with Finn so he could teach her more about how to navigate the ship. Rey was happy Rose and Finn were striking up a friendship, although she wasn’t exactly eager to banter with Poe all on her own. 

“Obviously, sailing the _Supremacy_ with just four crew members isn’t ideal,” Poe said. “So we’ll make a quick stop in Tortuga to pick up some additional crew members.”

Rey nodded. She wasn’t thrilled about visiting the infamous pirate hangout, but she’d assumed Poe would need more crew members and wasn’t sure where else to go to find people who were willing to work on board a stolen ship. 

“Once we’ve got a full crew, we’ll go after the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Poe went on. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a compass, handing it to Rey. “This should take us right to them.”

Rey slowly took the compass from him, turning it over and then nearly dropping it in surprise. On the back of the compass was a silver plate engraved with an image of an old man, a young woman, and a young man. It wasn’t necessarily the image itself that surprised her — it was the fact that it was an exact replica of the design on the medallion her mother had given her. 

That silver medallion was the only memento she had from her mother, and she had lost it during the shipwreck on her voyage from London to Port Royal. She’d never seen the design pop up anywhere else, and while she was sure it was a coincidence, it still seemed more than a little unnerving. She’d never understood what the image symbolized, and had no idea why the medallion and Poe’s compass would share the same artwork. 

“The same woman who gave me the _Sea Falcon_ also gave me this compass,” Poe explained. “But that’s another story for another time. What’s important is that this is no ordinary compass — instead of pointing north, it guides you to whatever your heart desires the most.”

It took Rey a moment to process what he’d said, and her gaze immediately turned skeptical. “Wait...you’re saying this is...magic?”

“Believe me, I was doubtful too,” Poe said. “But it’s proven itself many times. Since the _Sea Falcon_ is what I want most, it should take us straight to her — and, luckily for you, also to Benjamin Swann.” 

Rey’s eyes narrowed as she studied Poe, trying to discover any hint that he was trying to swindle her. If he had invented this elaborate story about a compass, just so she’d help him steal the _Sea Falcon_ …

As if sensing her doubts, Poe flipped open the compass, and Rey felt a strange rush of terror and wonder as the compass needle glowed with an otherworldly green light and then spun around wildly, eventually pointing in the direction the ship was currently sailing. 

“See?” Poe said, smiling in a self-satisfied manner that was more than a little annoying. “I told you — it’s magic, and it works.”

“But...but how does it work?” Maybe Rey didn’t need to understand, as long as it took her to Ben in the end. Still, she wanted to understand, and to make some sense of what she’d just witnessed. This was a new twist in the story that she hadn’t been prepared for; it was a lot to learn that magic existed, and then to see an actual demonstration of it, right in front of her. 

“Like I said — another story for another time,” Poe said, pocketing the compass again. “And now that I’ve shared part of my own secret, I need some information from _you_.”

“What do you mean?” Rey asked slowly, not sure if she liked where this was going.

“Your last name is Turner,” Poe said, his expression turning serious. “I’m curious: what was your mother’s name?”

No one had ever really asked Rey about her mother before, and it was strange to hear the question. Rose and Ben both understood that discussing her mother was a painful topic for her, and they never brought it up. All Rey really knew about her mother is that her parents hadn’t parted on amicable terms. 

“Kira Turner,” Rey said, and immediately took note of how Poe’s eyes lit up when she said the name. 

“I wondered,” Poe said, studying Rey more carefully. “You know, you actually look a lot like her. Definitely the same eyes, and the same damned stubbornness.”

“You mean, you knew her?” Rey asked in disbelief, and Poe smirked. 

“You’re asking a lot of questions today. But yeah, I knew her. She was a member of the _Sea Falcon’s_ crew. I liked her a lot — well, up until she joined my first mate Snoke’s mutiny.”

_Sea Falcon’s crew...liked her a lot...mutiny…_

The words spun round and round in Rey’s mind, as she struggled to accept what they meant. If her mother was a member of Poe’s old crew, then she had to assume her mother was a pirate. And that began to unravel everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. 

“My mother was NOT a pirate,” Rey fired back, feeling more defensive than she cared to admit. “My father hated pirates; he never would have married one. You must be thinking of someone else.”

“Did you ever think that maybe your father hated pirates because your mother ran away to become one?” Poe asked. “Look, I don’t know much of your family’s story. I get why you’re angry — your mother shouldn’t have abandoned you. But no matter how much you hate your heritage, you can’t deny what’s true.”

Rey glanced away, gripping the railing of the deck so tightly she felt splinters digging into her fingers. She wanted, more than anything, to believe that Poe was wrong. This was just some lie he’d invited to trick her into being more sympathetic to pirates. She couldn’t trust a word he was saying. 

Yet her fear that he WAS telling the truth continued to nag at her, digging into her mind the same way those splinters dug into her hands. Even worse was the realization that if Kira Turner was a pirate, Rey had inadvertently started following in her footsteps. Rey had already broken two pirates out of prison and stolen a ship. Rey’s father might have disowned her for that...but would her mother have been proud?

Rose had apparently been keeping an eye on this entire conversation, and even though she couldn’t hear the words that were being exchanged, she could tell that Rey was becoming distressed. Excusing herself from her discussion with Finn, Rose walked down to the main deck and looped her arm through Rey’s, gently pulling her away from Poe. 

“I’m feeling a little seasick,” Rose said. “Would you mind coming belowdecks with me?” Rey doubted Rose actually felt sick, but she was incredibly grateful for the excuse to end her conversation with Poe. 

“I didn’t mean to distress you, Rey,” Poe said softly as Rey walked away, and she could tell he meant it. However, it didn’t matter, because the damage had already been done. He’d shone a light on a dark secret from her past, and she couldn’t just forget their conversation.

No matter how much she wanted to.

***

Ben spent the entire night alone in the captain’s cabin, his back pressed against the door and his arms wrapped around his knees. He shut his eyes and did his best to pretend he was back at his uncle’s mansion, and to not think about the ghostly skeleton pirates haunting the deck outside. 

What the hell was he going to do? When he’d first gambled and agreed to go with the pirates, he had no idea this would be the result. How was he supposed to escape from a crew of undead spectres, and what was going to happen to him when they found out he wasn’t actually a Turner? He would try to maintain the deception as long as he could, but when they completed the blood ritual at the Isla de Muerta (whatever the hell that involved), they’d learn pretty quick that his blood didn’t have the power to break the curse.

As far as Ben knew, there were no lifeboats on board the _Sea Falcon_ (he supposed that since the pirates couldn’t die, they’d decided there was no use in bringing them). That meant his best option for escape was waiting until they landed on the Isla de Muerta. However, if this was some kind of haunted island in the middle of nowhere, he might not really have anywhere to escape to.

When morning finally dawned, Ben heard pounding on the door, and he was too exhausted to resist as First Mate Canady barged into the captain’s cabin. 

“Cap’n Snoke would be liking his cabin back,” Canady barked, and Ben wasn’t about to argue. Even though the sunlight had transformed Canady back into his regular human form, Ben couldn’t forget what the first mate had looked like as a rotting skeleton corpse. 

Canady escorted Ben to his new “accommodations” in the brig, and served him a plate of gruel for breakfast. It wasn’t very appetizing (certainly no comparison to the feast he’d been presented with last night), but at least the pirates left him alone and he could spend the rest of the voyage trying to think of a plan. 

The days and nights eventually blended together, and Ben might have lost track of time altogether if he hadn’t marked a notch in the wood every sunrise. He’d assumed the Isla de Muerta would be a long way from Port Royal, which is why no one else he knew of had ever found it, but only a couple of days had passed before he heard shouts of “land ho!” from the deck above him. Maybe the Nightsisters had cloaked the island in some sort of magical shield to make it more difficult for ordinary sailors to find. 

Canady roughly escorted Ben up to the deck, where Captain Snoke was waiting for him, wearing the same ridiculous burgundy coat with gold buttons that he’d been wearing the night Ben first met him.

“I thought you might like to view the Isla de Muerta before we go ashore,” he said, gesturing to the island looming before them. “Quite the paradise, isn’t it?”

Actually, it was — Ben had expected the island where the treasure had been hidden to be some ghastly place as frightening as the skeleton pirates the treasure had cursed. However, at least in the bright afternoon sun, the island was teeming with life. Pristine beaches lined the shore, and the interior of the island was covered with lush green vegetation and brightly-colored tropical flowers. Exotic birds chirped and flew above a waterfall plunging off a small cliff. 

“You wouldn’t think anything evil could come from this place,” Snoke said, smiling bitterly as he surveyed the island. “But just wait until nightfall. Just as the moonlight turns my crew into cursed ghosts, it also reveals this island’s true form, transforming it from paradise to hellscape. Unfortunately, we must wait until night to go to shore, as the blood magic only works by moonlight.”

_Just great,_ Ben thought. It would be even harder for him to find an escape route in the dark. He briefly considered trying to make a break for it right now, when Snoke’s back was turned, but apparently Snoke suspected he might try to run away and had Canady guard him for the rest of the afternoon. 

Ben had nothing to do but stare at the railing and watch as the sun slowly sank behind the island, turning the ocean waters an angry shade of red. 

It was difficult to pinpoint exactly when the island itself started turning. He’d been watching it carefully, as the sun faded and the first stars started twinkling in the sky. But when the moon shone in all its glory, Ben could see that Snoke was right. What appeared to be a paradise during the daytime was as rotten as the pirates themselves. 

The formerly pristine beaches were covered with large, sharp rocks, and the vegetation had shriveled into gray, rotting stumps. Thick vines studded with thorns covered most of the landscape, and somewhere in the distance he could hear some creature’s otherworldly howl as it prowled through the dead trees. 

“What a terrible place,” Ben muttered, and he could see the faint green glow from Snoke’s ghostly form behind him as the captain laughed. 

“Yes, it is,” Snoke agreed. “And soon we’ll be free of it forever.”

Ben swallowed painfully. He wasn’t looking forward to watching how Snoke would react to the surprise that no curse breaking would be occurring tonight, thanks to Ben’s true identity. 

The pirates took Ben ashore, each one bearing a torch and a cutlass as they began their march through the jungle. Ben was careful not to step outside the path, having no idea what horrors might be lurking beneath the mass of thorny vines. 

Snoke eventually led them to the mouth of a cave, and Ben was somewhat relieved that as soon as the pirates ducked into the cave and got away from the moonlight, they turned back into their human forms. In his mind he knew they were still undead, but when they appeared as regular pirates they seemed a lot less scary. 

As they walked, Ben dared to glance around at his surroundings more than he had during his trek through the jungle, and he noticed that strange words and images had been carved into the walls. The writing looked ancient, probably a language that hadn’t been spoken in centuries. 

They walked deeper and deeper into the heart of the island, until they finally came upon a giant cavern with an altar in the middle, carved with more of the strange words and imagery. On top of this altar sat a giant chest filled with coins just like Rey’s medallion. 

_This is it,_ Ben realized, his heart pounding so hard he feared it would burst straight out of his chest. He glanced behind him to see if there was any way he could try to escape, but the pirates were blocking the cavern’s only exit. 

Canady grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the chest of coins, ordering him to take out his medallion. Ben tried to move as slowly as possible, but he knew there was only so long he could delay. _Blast! Was there really no way to get out of this?_

The pirates began chanting — perhaps the words to some ancient Nightsister spell — and Canady forced Ben to drop the medallion into the chest. Snoke took out a knife and Ben flinched, only to discover that Snoke merely intended to make a tiny cut on Ben’s palm. 

“It only takes a few drops of blood to break the curse,” Snoke said with an eerie smile.

_Just not a few drops of MY blood,_ Ben thought, as two drops of blood fell from his palm into the chest. 

The next few seconds felt like an eternity as the pirates suddenly ceased chanting, everyone holding their breath. He could feel the tension rising, as the pirates kept looking around expectantly, waiting for something to happen. 

But nothing did...because Ben wasn’t a Turner. 

Snoke’s grin slowly started to fade, and he turned towards Ben, his eyes beginning to simmer. 

“IS Kira Turner your mother?” he asked, his voice quiet but rumbling with a deep anger that chilled Ben down to his bones. 

He opened his mouth, wondering what the devil to say, when suddenly the cave was rocked by a massive explosion. 

***

_Earlier…_

Rey didn’t want to admit that she enjoyed the company of the pirates Poe Dameron had picked up in Tortuga. But as hard as she tried to dislike them, she just...couldn’t.

She’d assumed they’d all be terrible people, since her father had warned her that all pirates were dangerous and morally decrepit. However, the makeshift crew Poe had cobbled together to sail the _HMS Supremacy_ turned out to be rather good-natured and even sympathetic to Rey’s plight.

The cook, known only by the nickname “Snap,” made the best stew Rey had ever tasted, and his booming laugh made it impossible not to smile, even at his groan-inducing jokes. Wedge was a former British Naval officer who knew the best routes to shave time off their journey (and, more importantly, outrun the Royal Navy ships that were pursuing them). 

What shocked Rey the most, though, was the fact that Poe had included several female pirates amongst his crew. Rey had grown up in Port Royal, where many doors had been shut to her because she was a woman. The fact she was a fully-trained blacksmith had to be kept a secret. 

But Poe didn’t seem to bat an eye at the idea of female pirates, and the women crew members were treated exactly the same as the men. Kaydel Ko Connix, a young woman with blond hair wound into tight, braided buns, told Rey that she’d become a pirate to escape an arranged marriage, and never planned to go back to “polite society,” which had never looked on her as an equal. 

The more time Rey spent with this crew, the harder and harder it was becoming to maintain her old prejudices about pirates, and that somehow felt like she was betraying her father. Yet maybe not all pirates were as bad as the ones who had mutinied against Poe and kidnapped Ben. What if Poe and his crew were decent people that society had simply forced out, just as it would force her out if the truth about her running Cornelius Plutt’s blacksmith shop became known?

These uncomfortable thoughts ran through her mind every night as she tried to sleep, and the further they sailed from Port Royal, the more untethered she felt from her old life there. She almost wanted to talk to Finn and Rose about it, but the journey ended sooner than she expected, and soon Poe’s magic compass had led them to a place called Isla de Muerta. 

Although Ben’s kidnappers had certainly gotten a head start, between the magic compass and Wedge’s excellent navigational skills, they arrived at Isla de Muerta just as the crew members of the _Sea Falcon_ were dragging Ben ashore.

Rey was ready to go ashore right away and fight off whatever pirates she had to in order to save Ben, but apparently Poe had an important announcement to make first. 

“Look, I know not all of you believe the curse about Isla de Muerta, but I want you to be careful,” he said, and Rey and Rose shot each other a confused look. 

“Wait, what curse?” Rey asked, and Poe looked perplexed. 

“You mean you’ve never heard the legend of Isla de Muerta?” he asked, and even Finn seemed surprised. 

“I’m sorry you didn’t know,” Finn said. “It’s a story sailors whisper about, and I guess we figured you’d heard it somewhere in Port Royal. The Isla de Muerta is supposedly haunted, and is home to a cursed treasure buried by the Nightsister witches.”

“I don’t believe it,” Snap said, and Poe immediately replied, “I know — now please, shut up. For those who aren’t aware, the legend claims that anyone who steals the cursed treasure will be cursed as well, so I’d recommend nobody touch any treasure you may find on the island.”

Although Rey was pretty sure she sided with Snap and she had many, many more questions she wanted to ask, she knew they didn’t have a lot of time to waste. What mattered was that she’d caught a glimpse of Ben, and now she needed to go save him. 

Poe left most of the crew back on board the _Supremacy_ (he had Finn stay behind so that someone wouldn’t suggest sailing off without them), and took only Rey, Rose, Kaydel, and Wedge ashore with him. As they crept through the jungle, Rey tried not to let herself get spooked by the island’s uncanny appearance, with the dead trees and the spiky vines that always seemed to be slowly inching towards her. 

Poe’s compass led them to a cave, and as they descended into its depths, Rey could hear the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ begin to chant, the unrecognizable words filling her with a strange sense of unease. She didn’t understand what the words meant, but she had the feeling they were ancient, and evil. 

Poe motioned for them to stop behind a bend in the cave, and as Rey peeked around the corner, she could see one of the pirates dragging Ben towards a treasure chest. She almost screamed when a man who appeared to be the captain sliced open Ben’s palm, but Poe clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from making a sound. 

She heard the captain ask Ben, “IS Kira Turner your mother?” — a question that made absolutely no sense. Just what was going on here? 

Apparently, Poe didn’t want to risk waiting to find out either. 

“This is it — our window of opportunity!” he hissed, then pulled a grenade — an iron ball filled with gunpowder — from his knapsack, lit it, and then threw it into the middle of the pirates. 

“Go grab Ben!” he ordered Rey, and then all hell seemed to break loose. 


	7. Danger from the Depths

Rey didn’t wait for the smoke to clear after Poe’s grenade went off in the cave deep beneath the Isla de Muerta. Covering her mouth with her hand, she ran right into the chaos, straight towards the point where she’d last caught sight of Ben. 

She could hear loud shouts and cursing all around her, as the pirates tried to figure out what was going on and who had interrupted their strange ritual. She saw a shadowy form in front of her and narrowly dodged a swipe from a pirate’s cutlass. 

_Blast!_ It was impossible to see anything in all this smoke, but she forced herself not to panic. She _would_ find Ben. She reached out with her hands and felt the cold, smooth stone of the altar, and she risked calling out “Ben!” as loudly as she dared. 

Rey was worried her voice would be drowned out by all the commotion — or worse, an angry pirate would hear her instead and grab her — but then, through the smoke, she heard a deep voice reply “Rey?”

A hand grabbed her arm and she heard Ben’s voice fill with both surprise and relief as he repeated, “Rey? Is that really you?”

She wanted to hug him and shout with excitement, but the smoke was starting to dissipate and then the usefulness of Poe’s distraction would quickly expire. “Come on — let’s get you out of here!” she exclaimed, pulling him towards the cave’s entrance.

Ben very willingly obliged her, gripping her hand and not letting go even as they joined Poe, Rose, Kaydel, and Wedge in fleeing back up the path that would lead them out of the cave. 

“Wait, is that...Poe Dameron? The pirate who kidnapped you?” Ben asked in disbelief as they ran, finally recognizing the man who was leading the party. “And Rose is here too?”

“It’s a really long story,” Rey said, not daring to turn around and see if the other pirates had figured out what was going on and had decided to pursue them. “I’ll tell you as soon as we’re back on the _Supremacy_.”

“So Poe actually did steal the _Supremacy_? Then does that mean—” Ben stopped himself, shaking his head. “Never mind. That obviously doesn’t matter now. We’ve got to get off the island before those pirates catch us. You won’t believe what I’ve seen, Rey. The pirates are—”

“You know, you can probably run even faster if you quit talking!” Poe called out. “Move, everybody! Right now time’s the only advantage we’ve got over Snoke and his crew.”

Rey and Ben were already running as fast as they could, but somehow they pushed themselves even harder, and soon they burst out of the cave’s entrance and into the thick jungles of Isla de Muerta. Rey could feel slimy vines brushing against her arms as they continued to run, but she tried to ignore them. The moon shining above provided just enough light for her to see by and helped her avoid the thick roots jutting up from the dirt pathway. Ben almost tripped once, but she caught him by the arm before he fell. 

Through a gap in the trees, Rey spotted a rocky beach and a ship with black sails that she didn’t recognize. 

“There you are, darling,” Poe whispered, and Rey realized this must be his beloved ship, the _Sea Falcon_. 

“Do you know if Snoke left any of his crew members on board to guard her?” Poe asked, turning to Ben, and Ben quickly shook his head. 

“No — it should be empty. He took everybody with him for the ritual.”

Poe grinned. “Good. I’m gonna sail her right out from under that bastard’s nose, then.”

They ran up the gangplank, and then Poe lit a flare, which would serve as the signal to Finn that it was time to set sail. They’d agreed to meet up at a small island some distance from Isla de Muerta, where they could leave the _Supremacy_ docked for Commodore Armitage Hux to find at his leisure. Poe wasn’t about to leave the _Supremacy_ on Isla de Muerta, where Snoke could get to it and use it to escape. His traitorous former first mate and Ben’s kidnapper would be left stranded on Isla de Muerta — a more than fitting fate for all the trouble he’d caused.

As the _Sea Falcon_ pulled away from the shore, Rey finally allowed herself to shut her eyes and breathe deeply, marveling over the fact that something as simple as a grenade had allowed them to escape the island with everything they’d come for. Perhaps Lady Luck really was on their side. 

Rey was overcome by that same urge to hug Ben and celebrate, but as she turned towards him, she was struck by the haunted, hollow look in his eyes. His gaze was locked on the shoreline, as if he expected something to come bursting out of the row of palm trees at any second — and that thought completely terrified him. 

Poe should have been celebrating now too, thanks to the safe return of his ship, but like Ben, he continued to watch the shore with concern in his eyes. 

“You know what’s coming after us, don’t you?” Ben said grimly, and for a moment Poe didn’t say anything at all. 

Finally, he replied, his voice quiet: “Know — yes. Understand? No — and that’s what scares me.”

Rey felt a cold, creeping sense of dread, that soon blossomed into full-on horror as she suddenly saw just what Ben and Poe were so afraid of. The pirates who’d kidnapped Ben stormed out of the jungle, finally escaping from the cave. But instead of ordinary pirates, they’d been transformed by the moonlight into something far more terrifying: rotting, undead skeletons lit by a ghostly green glow. 

Rey wanted to scream but all sound died in her throat. She’d already seen a taste of magic, thanks to Poe’s compass, but this was much, much worse. Rey and Rose latched on to each other tightly, as the _Sea Falcon_ continued to sail into the night, both of them afraid to look at the shore but unable to pull their gazes away. Rey could hear one of the pirates shouting all kinds of curses at them, but the ghost pirates had no way to reach the _Sea Falcon_. Instead, they were forced to watch it sail away, their supernatural powers unable to help them here. 

“You know, I’ve seen a lot of things in my many years on the seas,” Wedge said, waiting until the island had disappeared from view before daring to speak. When he did, his voice sounded detached and distant. “But I’ve never seen anything as bloody terrifying as that.”

No one disagreed. 

***

No one spoke much until the _Sea Falcon_ arrived at the tiny island where they were scheduled to rendezvous with Finn and the other pirates on board the _HMS Supremacy_. Finn didn’t ask Poe what had happened or what they’d witnessed on Isla de Muerta; the subdued look in Poe’s eyes told enough of the story. 

Everyone boarded the _Sea Falcon_ , and then they left the _Supremacy_ docked at the island, where hopefully Hux would come across it soon and be grateful enough to get it back that he wouldn’t try too hard to chase down the _Sea Falcon_.

As Ben watched the docked _Supremacy_ and the unnamed island disappear into the darkness, he paced up and down the deck, in a fruitless effort to expend some of his nervous energy. He had so, so many questions, and he was sure Rey had plenty of her own questions for him. He was stunned that Rey had actually teamed up with pirates to rescue him, and she was probably stunned that the pirates who’d kidnapped him were actually undead skeleton ghosts. 

Although he knew sleep would likely elude him tonight, after an hour of pacing alone he finally decided that he might as well go belowdecks and try to lie down. He started down the narrow wooden staircase and then nearly ran into Rey, who appeared to be on her way up to the deck. 

“Sorry, I should have been...uh...watching where I was going,” Ben quickly apologized, running a hand through his messy hair. He had no idea what he looked like right now, but he assumed his appearance would horrify his uncle. His clothes were dirty and stained with blood from the cut on his hand. 

“No, I’m glad you’re here,” Rey said, not quite meeting his eyes. “I was actually...well...I was coming to look for you.”

“Oh.” Ben’s heart skipped, but he tried not to read too much into her request. Maybe she was just looking for more information about what had really happened on Isla de Muerta. He followed her to the ship’s dining room, which was currently empty except for Snap’s pet parrot, who was asleep on her perch. 

Ben pulled back one of the chairs and tried to sit down, then found he was too restless to remain seated and got back on his feet again. 

“So, a...lot has happened since I fell off the _Supremacy_ and you saved me from drowning,” Rey finally said, and Ben laughed dryly. 

“Yes, that’s one way to put it.” 

He found himself studying Rey more closely, and even though she was dressed simply, there was something incredibly striking about her tonight. Maybe it was the light from a lantern hanging in a dim room on a ship in the middle of the ocean that added something beautiful and wild to her appearance. 

She was wearing a plain, dark red overdress that laced up the front over a cream-colored shift, and she’d slit the dress up the side so it was easier to move and run. She was wearing dark brown trousers with black knee-high boots, and part of her hair had fallen loose, so that half of it was gathered in a bun and the other half fell in waves down her shoulders. A sword was strapped to her belt, and he had no doubt that she knew exactly what to do with it. 

She looked both lovely and dangerous, and Ben thought she appeared surprisingly at home here on this pirate ship. The effect was altogether intoxicating, and he had to shake his head and force himself to focus as Rey asked him another question. 

“I know you’re probably wondering why I’m here with Poe Dameron,” she said. “At first I tried to get your uncle and Admiral Brendol Hux to help, but they wouldn’t listen to me. After Rose and I broke Poe out of prison, he helped me steal — well, technically borrow, the _Supremacy_ — in order to get to Isla de Muerta. Believe me, we never intended to keep it. He just wanted the _Sea Falcon_ back, and I wanted...well...to rescue you.”

“I...thank you.” Ben was too overwhelmed to know what to say. He knew what Rey had risked in order to be here; by stealing the _HMS Supremacy_ and freeing Poe, she was technically guilty of piracy. And that came with a heavy price. 

“I promise, no harm will come to you for helping me,” he said. “My uncle will be so relieved that I’m not hurt that he’ll give you a full pardon. And if he shows any signs of hesitation, I’ll _make_ him do it. No one else will ever know that you were even involved. We’ll let Poe and Finn sail off into the sunset with their ship, and we can go back to Port Royal and—”

“Life can return to normal?” Rey shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s even possible, Ben.” _There went his heart, fluttering again, as she called him by his first name, and not the more formal “Mr. Swann.”_ We haven’t even talked yet about what we saw on Isla de Muerta. What’s really going on? Are we actually safe from the pirates out here on the ocean?”

Ben looked Rey in the eyes and realized that he had to tell her everything — even the parts that might hurt her, like the truth he’d learned about who her mother was. He realized now that perhaps it was fortunate that fate had never given him a chance to return her silver medallion; he’d left the bloody necklace back on Isla de Muerta, where it would hopefully stay locked away in that chest forever. 

Ben didn’t exactly know where to begin, so he started by repeating the same story Snoke had told him about the Nightsisters, the cursed treasure, and the betrayal of Poe’s former crew members. He told Rey that her mother’s blood sacrifice was the final piece Snoke needed to break the curse, and that they’d kidnapped Ben because they thought he was Kira Turner’s son. 

After all this information had finally spilled out of him, Rey stood for a long moment in silence, staring at the lantern hanging above them as it swung gently back and forth with the rocking of the ship. 

“Poe told me about my mother, but I didn’t want to believe it,” she said. “But I suppose now that it all makes sense. My father hated pirates because my mother broke his heart. He did everything he could to keep me safe and far away from the kind of life she led, but now I’ve gone and joined up with a pirate crew. If he was still alive, his heart would break all over again.”

“None of this is your fault,” Ben assured her, sitting down next to her. He wanted to reach out and place his hand on hers, but that felt like too much of an imposition. “You did what you felt you had to, and I think your father would understand. You saved my life; if you and Poe hadn’t showed up, I don’t know what Captain Snoke would have done to me. He wasn’t very happy when he figured out that I wasn’t who I claimed to be.” 

“What made you decide to give them the last name Turner?” Rey asked, and Ben hesitated, realizing he wasn’t entirely sure. 

He flexed his hand without thinking and then immediately winced, having forgotten about the cut across his palm that was still very tender. He thought the bleeding would have stopped by now, but apparently he’d reopened the wound, and a trickle of blood slid down his hand. 

“Ben, do you need someone to take a look at that?” Rey asked in concern, and Ben shrugged. 

“It’s fine — it’s just a little cut. It’ll stop bleeding again in a minute or two.”

However, Rey was already tearing off a thin strip of fabric from her dress to create a makeshift bandage for him. Ben swallowed — hard — as her hand touched his, and he prayed she had no idea just how wildly his heart was beating right now, as she slowly and almost reverently wound the bandage around his hand. 

He knew he shouldn’t be overreacting to a simple hand touch; in fact, they’d already done this, holding hands as they ran through the jungles of Isla de Muerta. But that had been a gesture driven purely by survival instinct, a sense that they needed to stick together to avoid danger. What Rey was doing now felt far more...intimate. 

Uncle Luke had lectured Ben time and time again that it was inappropriate for a young gentleman to spend too much time with a young lady unchaperoned. Ben had, henceforth, never been alone in a private room with any young women his age before, much less one who made him feel the way Rey did. 

Rey finally finished wrapping the bandage, and as she tucked in the end to secure it around his hand, she looked up and their eyes locked. For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, and Ben almost thought he saw something new flickering in Rey’s eyes...some realization she was just now coming to. Even though she’d finished with his bandage, she hadn’t removed her hand from on top of his.

“Rey, I—” Ben’s voice cracked, and unfortunately, he seemed to have broken the spell that had fallen over them, because Rey quickly withdrew her hand and looked away awkwardly. Ben silently cursed himself, hoping he hadn’t just spoiled the moment completely. 

“You know, you never told me why you pretended to be a Turner,” Rey said, attempting to ease the awkwardness by teasing him. Her voice was light, but Ben could still feel the tension simmering between them. 

“I didn’t want them to know I was the governor’s nephew,” he said. “And ‘Turner’ was just...well...the first name that came to mind.”

_Because it’s your name…_

_Because I think about you constantly…_

_Because I love you…_

The unspoken words tortured Ben, and he stared into Rey’s green-brown eyes, desperately wondering if she felt even a hint of what he felt for her. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking right now; she looked guarded, and maybe even a little nervous. Soon, he was going to lose her altogether. 

“Maybe I should have a drink,” Ben blurted out, and Rey looked at him in surprise. “It’s been a wild night, and I think I need something to take the edge off.” 

Rey immediately nodded in agreement. “Yes — I think I need one too. It’s a lot to learn that your mother is a pirate and then to steal a ship from a horde of ghost skeletons.”

Although Ben wasn’t sure if Poe would approve of him and Rey helping themselves to an extra ration of rum tonight, he wasn’t about to wake up the sleeping captain and ask his permission. Ben and Rey grabbed a bottle from the hold and then sneaked back onto the deck, so they could drink rum and look up at the stars. 

Rey seemed instantly more relaxed as she leaned against the railing and shut her eyes, savoring the cool night breeze on her face. Ben felt himself relaxing as well; maybe the dining room had been too cramped and confining. Maybe out here they could talk — _really talk_ — as he’d been dying to do ever since they met 10 years ago.

“Now, be careful with this stuff,” Ben warned as Rey popped the cork off the bottle and prepared to take a swig. “This is real pirate’s rum, and is probably stronger than anything else we’ve ever had before.”

“Do you think I can’t handle a drink, Mr. Swann?” Rey asked, pretending to be offended. She took a big gulp of the rum and then immediately coughed and spluttered, her eyes going wide. 

“Yes, it definitely looks like you’re handling it,” Ben replied with a wicked grin, and Rey shot him a look. 

“You try it, then,” she said, and Ben tipped back the bottle and took a sip of his own. 

Ben nearly gagged, the alcohol burning all the way down his throat. He almost spit it out, but his pride made him swallow it with a grimace, his eyes watering even more than Rey’s were. 

“That’s some bloody strong stuff,” he gasped, shaking his head and placing a hand on the railing to steady himself. 

“Maybe it just takes some getting used to,” Rey said. “The next sip could be better?”

Ben nodded. “Well, we might as well find out.”

***

The next sip did not burn any less than the first, but Rey wasn’t about to back down from a challenge. She and Ben took turns drinking from the bottle until it was empty. 

Rey had had alcohol before, but this brew was truly...something. The rum went straight to her head, and before the bottle was even done, she felt this dizzy, delirious giddiness washing over her. She felt like she was floating above the deck, rather than standing on it, and at any moment she could just reach for the sky and fly up to touch the stars. 

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Ben giggled, stumbling slightly as he tried to set the bottle down. Rey wasn’t exactly sure why the sight of Ben setting down the bottle was so funny, but soon she was giggling too. 

“I think it was,” Rey confessed. “But at least we decided to do it together. I won’t tell your uncle, if you promise not to tell the Plutts.”

“You have a deal,” Ben said. He tried to reach out and shake her hand, but he missed and almost fell down. 

Laughing even louder, Rey caught him by the hand and spun him around and around the deck, dancing away all of her nervous energy. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this free, and while she tried to tell herself it was just the alcohol, she knew it was more than that. 

Even though she loved her work as a blacksmith, sometimes she felt so...constricted. Every day she had to put up with the Plutts’ nonsense, and try to disguise the fact she was a female blacksmith. She loved Port Royal, but there were times when it did feel like a cage. 

But here on the _Sea Falcon_ , none of that mattered. She could say what she wanted, and be who she wanted. She could make her own decisions, and while Poe might get on her nerves sometimes, at least he treated her like an equal. 

Ben felt freer here too — she could definitely tell. Although his uncle Luke loved him, the governor was very strict about what behavior was appropriate. He would never have allowed Rey and Ben to drink an entire bottle of rum together and then go dancing around the deck of a pirate ship. 

Rey realized just how much she enjoyed hearing Ben laugh, and she wondered if tonight, she was finally catching a glimpse of the real Benjamin Swann. His grin was lighting up his whole face right now, and she felt a strange little thrill as she also realized that the main reason for his current happiness was likely the fact that he was spending time with _her_. 

Rey found herself getting a little carried away as she danced, and she accidentally tripped over an uneven board on the deck. Ben caught her before she fell, then placed his hands on her shoulders to help her regain her balance. 

They’d both abruptly stopped dancing, and Rey felt strangely unsteady, in a way that had nothing to do with the boat rocking back and forth beneath her feet. She caught herself staring at Ben again, but unlike the moment they’d shared in the dining room, this didn’t feel awkward. 

As Ben stared into her eyes, she knew she could no longer pretend she didn’t know that this man was hopelessly, madly in love with her. She’d never allowed herself to admit it, even though her heart had recognized a long time ago what her mind refused to accept. 

Ben had always looked at her with a sad sort of longing, but she knew he would probably never say anything about it to her, because he was a gentleman and didn’t want to impose. She hadn’t given him any outward indication that she was interested in him, and unless she was the one to act, their lives would diverge again when they returned to Port Royal.

It would be so, so much simpler if that's what she allowed to happen. Benjamin Swann would marry an heiress like Lady Angelica Bazine, and Rey would go on working as a blacksmith, allowing Cornelius Plutt to pretend that he was the craftsman behind her work. They would continue to be obedient cogs in the wheels of a society that proved to be very unforgiving to those who did not know their place.

However, something within Rey had changed tonight, and the thought of just going back to her old life exactly as before filled her with a sense of frustrated despair. She couldn’t just be a cog in a wheel anymore. 

Perhaps the alcohol had helped free her thoughts, but this had been true for a while now: the time had come for her to stop denying that she felt things for Benjamin Swann too. Maybe he was the governor’s nephew and she was just a lowly blacksmith, and there was no future for them in Port Royal. Yet out here, surrounded by the freedom offered by the waves and the endless stars, Rey didn’t want to think about the future. She just wanted to live _now_. 

Ben started to take his hands off his shoulders, probably assuming he was overstepping his bounds, but Rey gently grabbed his wrists and placed his hands on her waist. She could hear his breathing hitch, and that in turn made her heart beat faster. She didn’t entirely know what she was doing, but she definitely knew what she was _feeling_.

“Rey, I…” Ben’s voice caught, just as it had in the dining room, and she could tell he was struggling over what to say to her. It was probably difficult to summarize years’ worth of unspoken thoughts and feelings. But even though words were failing him right now, his eyes communicated what was in his heart. 

“Don’t worry — I know,” she whispered, wrapping her hands around his waist and drawing him closer. 

Ben picked her up and sat her on the railing, so that they could see each other eye-to-eye (had she really never noticed before just how stunningly tall he was?). It should have felt dangerous, perched on the edge of the railing with the dark depths of the ocean below her, but she wasn’t afraid. Ben wouldn’t let her fall. 

His hands worked their way upwards with an agonizing slowness, moving from her waist to her neck, and setting her skin on fire with every point he touched. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned in towards her, and Rey feared her heart was going to explode just like Poe’s grenade on Isla de Muerta. 

She’d never been kissed before and had no idea what the experience would actually be like, but in this moment, she felt like she’d never wanted anything more. She needed just a taste of him, to strip away one more of the barriers that had kept them apart for so long. She needed to know what it felt like to—

“Who left this damned bottle of rum just rolling around on the deck?”

Snap’s voice shattered the silence, and both Rey and Ben flinched. She immediately jumped down to stand on the deck as Snap loomed before them in the darkness. She had no idea why he was on the deck at this hour, and while she was pretty sure he hadn’t seen what she and Ben had been up to, her face flamed bright red all the same. 

“Um sorry,” Ben said, stepping forward and raising his hands apologetically. When Rey tried to step out of the shadows after him, he shook his head. 

“Benjamin Swann?” Snap asked, sounding confused. The ship’s cook still hadn’t seen Rey in the darkness. “What the hell are you doing up here? You’d better get back to your cabin!”

“I promise, I’m fine—”

“No, no,” Snap insisted, the poor man assuming that he was being helpful. “I’ll help you. If you just drank that whole bottle of rum, I don’t trust you to get down the stairs without falling and breaking your neck.”

Unable to think of an excuse in time, Ben had to allow Snap to take him by the arm and lead him belowdecks. He risked one last glance behind him at Rey, his eyes filling with regret. He mouthed something to her, but she couldn’t tell what it was. 

Rey remained standing on the deck in the darkness for a long time, left alone with her tumult of emotions. Snap’s sudden arrival had been like a cold bucket of water tossed on the fire raging inside her, and though her body was still processing all the rum she’d consumed, she felt suddenly clear-headed. 

She cursed herself for allowing all that to happen. Her heart might not regret it, but her mind was telling her that she should have known better. Maybe she and Ben were free to be whoever they wanted on board the _Sea Falcon_ , but they’d be back in Port Royal soon, and this all would have to end. Although the wind had whispered to her, promising her freedom, it was really just a lie. Rey the blacksmith couldn’t love Ben the governor’s nephew — no matter how much she wished that could be true. 

She hadn’t realized she’d started to cry until she felt the tears sliding down her cheeks, and she quickly tried to wipe them away, as if the sooner they were gone, the sooner she could forget this ache in her heart. When she saw Ben tomorrow morning, she was going to have to pretend that none of this had ever happened.

Even if, for the rest of her life, she’d be haunted by their almost-kiss, and wonder what it would have felt like…

***

For Commodore Armitage Hux, the _HMS Supremacy_ was a sight for _very_ sore eyes. 

He found her docked at some unnamed little island; the ship had been abandoned but was, from all appearances, none the worse for wear. Poe Dameron had behaved exactly as expected: he had presumably recovered his own ship and then left the _Supremacy_ behind, for Hux to recover. 

Hux would have felt better if Dameron had left Ben, Rey, and Rose on board the _Supremacy_ as well, but he had to assume the three of them would be safely returned to Port Royal soon. For just a moment, he had a tiny flicker of doubt that Ben would indeed be returning; he remembered his friend’s longtime wanderlust and fascination with all things nautical (and even piratical). 

However, he consoled himself with the fact that even if Ben was tempted to escape from Port Royal and dive head-first into a life of adventure on the high seas, Rey and Rose would probably insist on returning to Port Royal right away. Poe and Finn’s free-wheeling pirate lifestyle wouldn’t seduce them (or at least, he hoped). 

Half of the crew Hux had brought with him as part of the search party transferred over to the _Supremacy_ , along with Hux himself. He charged some of his officers with completing a full inspection, just to make sure the ship hadn’t taken any damage during her absence from the Royal Navy’s care. 

Once she was pronounced seaworthy, Hux sent the other ship on ahead of them, and then allowed his crew to harvest some of the tropical fruit from the island. They weren’t strictly authorized to make that kind of delay, but he’d been pushing his crew hard while chasing after the _Supremacy_ , and he liked to give them a little morale boost whenever he could. 

Hux couldn’t have known it at the time, but that short delay would change the course of his life forever. Because while his crew gathered fruit, the sun started to set, and with the tide came an unforeseen danger that would alter everything Hux thought he knew about the world. 

Hux was standing on the deck of his ship at sunset, admiring the beautiful view of the island beach and the jungle beyond it, when he saw something he couldn’t quite believe. 

A line of dark shapes emerged from the waves lapping up against the beach, and at first he thought it was debris from a shipwreck washing up to shore. But no — these shapes were definitely human in form, and if he didn’t know better, he’d say it appeared as though they’d walked straight up from the ocean floor, with bits of seaweed caught on their clothes and water dripping from their hair. 

Before Hux could shout out a warning to his men on the beach, he felt a rush of wind behind him and then the cold edge of a blade pressing up against his throat. 

“Good evening, Commodore — fancy meeting you here.”

Hux stiffened, fighting to remain calm and project the dignity that was required of a Royal Navy officer no matter what situation he was presented with. 

Hux slowly turned around and found a man with long, yellow hair and a ridiculously gaudy burgundy coat standing behind him, drenched with sea water. This man had apparently walked right out of the ocean and sneaked on board the _Supremacy_ while Hux had been distracted with trying to figure out what was happening on shore. 

“Who are you?” Hux asked. His hand hovered over his sword, though he dared not draw it due to the fact that this mysterious man from the sea still had his own blade pressed to Hux’s throat. 

“I am Captain James Snoke, rightful master of the _Sea Falcon_ ,” the other man proclaimed with a toothy grin that made him appear even more menacing. “Unfortunately, that son of a sea rat Poe Dameron has stolen my ship from me. My crew and I have had to walk the ocean floor in search of a ship to help us win the _Sea Falcon_ back. I am so pleased that we stumbled across you and the _HMS Supremacy_. She is the crown jewel of the Royal Navy, is she not?”

“You...say you walked across the sea floor?” Hux asked. He would have laughed in Snoke’s face if he didn’t believe that doing so would earn him a stab through the throat. “But isn’t that—”

“Impossible?” Snoke cut in, his grin growing even wider. “For ordinary mortals, perhaps. Fortunately for my crew and I, we are cursed and cannot die, and the magic that keeps us alive makes all sorts of impossible things...possible. However, you and your crew are most definitely mortal, and if you wish to see the sunrise, you will allow us to take control of your ship and pursue Dameron.”

“You will not take the _Supremacy_ ,” Hux hissed, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t know how to interpret this man’s claim that he had some kind of supernatural ability to walk through the ocean, but he knew Snoke wasn’t bluffing when he said he’d kill every member of Hux’s crew. 

Hux didn’t want to put his men’s lives in more risk than he had to, but there was no way he could just willingly hand control of his ship over to a pirate. He had a feeling this Snoke was an even worse sort of pirate than Dameron, and even if he complied with Snoke’s demands, there was no guarantee the pirate wouldn’t just stab him in the back anyway. It was far better to stand and fight, and die with honor. 

Snoke must have guessed the thoughts running through Hux’s mind right now, because he sighed heavily. 

“You’re not going to surrender peacefully, are you? Well, perhaps seeing our true forms will inspire you to be a little more cooperative.”

Snoke had timed his arrival perfectly; the sun had disappeared just enough by now that the moon could start shining, and as Snoke stepped into a moonbeam peeking through the clouds, he transformed from a regular pirate into a ghostly spectre, wreathed in glowing green mist. 

Hux staggered back in horror, tripping over a coil of rope and landing on his back on the deck. Snoke threw back his head and laughed at Hux’s terror, as well as the terror of Hux’s men back on the shore as they realized what the pirate horde really was. 

Hux was too overcome with shock to do anything other than stare in dismay as Snoke’s ghost crew took command of the _Supremacy_ , shackling Hux’s men and escorting them roughly to the brig. Hux expected to be joining them, but apparently Snoke had another fate in mind for him. He had Hux tied to the mast, so that he would be forced to watch everything that happened when they caught up with the _Sea Falcon_.

Hux wanted to believe that the _Sea Falcon_ — and his best friend Benjamin Swann — were safely beyond the reach of Snoke. The _Supremacy_ was fast, but the _Sea Falcon_ was the tiniest bit faster. However, Hux had no idea what sort of supernatural speed Snoke might be able to throw behind the sails, and if it was really true that his crew couldn’t die, then they’d have no fears about pushing the ship as hard as they possibly could. 

If Dameron already knew of Snoke’s existence, then Hux prayed the _Sea Falcon_ had some inkling of what was coming. Because whether Dameron was ready or not, a battle was coming...and Hux had a feeling that the odds were entirely in Snoke’s favor. 


	8. A Deal with the Devil

Benjamin Swann woke with a pounding headache and a deep regret of all the rum he’d consumed the night before. 

Oh, the alcohol had certainly helped take the edge off his shattered nerves after narrowly escaping from the undead pirate ritual on Isla de Muerta. However, the rum had also left him with a feeling that his skull was about to fracture and eyes that burned in any level of light above pure darkness. 

His memories of the previous day felt like a hazy dream, as if the events were from a story he’d heard long ago and only half remembered. But the fact that he was currently on board Poe Dameron’s pirate ship, the _Sea Falcon_ , in the middle of the ocean, with tattered clothes and a scar on his hand, reminded him that it was all too real...regardless of how unbelievable it might seem in the light of day. 

The worst of it was the way things had ended with Rey. After they’d danced around the deck, things had escalated...well...rather quickly, and they’d almost kissed before poor Snap had interrupted them and accidentally ruined the moment. 

Ben sat up slowly, holding a hand to his aching head, and wondered what he should do now. Should he talk to Rey about what happened last night (or rather, almost happened)? Or should he try to behave as nonchalantly as possible, and let her be the one to broach the subject? 

And even if she wanted to talk about it, where would they go from here? When he got back to Port Royal, his uncle was still going to want him to marry Angelica Bazine, even though in his heart, Ben knew he could never agree to that, not even to help his family. His experience on Isla de Muerta had taught him that life was dangerous, fragile, and precious, and he wanted to spend every moment he had with Rey. If Rey felt the same way about him, then he’d find some way to build a future together — social rules and consequences be damned. 

Ben’s legs were finally steady enough to stand, and he took several large swigs of water before daring to make his way up to the deck. He shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight glinting off the water, and then nearly fell over as Poe walked up behind him and slapped him on the back. 

“Overindulged a bit last night, did we?” Poe asked with a grin, and Ben sighed heavily. He wasn’t in the mood to be teased right now, when all he really wanted to do was find Rey. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see any sign of her up on the deck. What if she regretted everything that happened last night, and was trying to avoid him?

“Poe, be nice,” Finn called out from the other side of the deck, where he and Wedge were looking at a series of maps with Rose, showing her how they were used to navigate on the ocean. “The poor man looks like death.” 

“I feel like death,” Ben muttered. “Has anyone seen—”

Ben’s voice trailed off as a cold, sharp wind blew across the deck, chilling his skin and gripping his heart with sudden, icy claws of dread. There was no logical explanation why a winter wind would suddenly blow across the tropical ocean...unless it meant that a certain crew of undead pirates were on their way. 

Poe and Ben locked eyes, and Ben could tell Poe was thinking the exact same thing he was. 

“It can’t be,” Ben said, forcing words to come out of his mouth. “We left them stranded on Isla de Muerta. There’s no way a ship sailed by and picked them up.”

“I know,” Poe said, staring at the horizon behind them. “But maybe I’ve underestimated the supernatural powers that damned treasure gave them.”

As the cold wind continued to whip at the black sails of the Sea Falcon, Poe ordered his crew to prepare for a potential confrontation. There was a little grumbling from some of them, as not everyone believed in the power of the curse, but Wedge, Kaydel, and Rose — who had all seen the ghost horde on Isla de Muerta — did not offer a single word of protest. They too had guessed what was coming…

Ben heard the sound of boots clomping on the deck behind him, and turned to find Rey running up to the railing. 

“What’s going on?” she asked Poe, having heard the commotion from wherever she’d been belowdecks. 

“Snoke is after us,” Poe said, as a particularly powerful gust of wind blew out his scarf and nearly ripped it off his neck. Finn managed to grab his own hat just in time before it was snatched off his head by that same wind burst. 

“But that’s not possible,” Rey said, and Ben wondered if she really believed that, or was only trying to convince herself. 

“That wind feels like an omen,” Poe said grimly. “And I’ve felt that kind of omen before.”

Poe tried to coax as much speed out of the _Sea Falcon_ as he could, hoping to outrun the danger behind them. But in the end, it just wasn’t enough, and by mid-morning another ship had appeared on the horizon. 

Wedge pulled out a spyglass and tried to get a closer look at the ship pursuing them. 

“It looks like Royal Navy,” he said in surprise. “The _HMS Supremacy_ , no less.”

For a moment, Ben felt a spark of hope; did this mean Hux had found his ship and was coming to rescue Ben, Rey, and Rose? Ben knew how Hux felt about pirates, but he was sure the new commodore could arrive at a peaceful arrangement. Even Hux would feel it was wrong to arrest the pirate who’d saved his friend’s life. 

However, Ben could not forget about the cold wind chasing after them, and the supernatural dread it had inspired within him. It might indeed be the _Supremacy_ pursuing them, but not all was as it should be. Something remained out of place here, and Ben realized that Poe was right to keep running. Whatever was going on, they couldn’t afford to let the _Supremacy_ catch them. 

Closer and closer the _Supremacy_ sailed, narrowing the gap between them, and finally Wedge was able to make out some of the figures standing on the deck. 

“It’s Snoke,” he pronounced, setting off another round of curses from Poe. “And it looks like that madman has got the ship’s captain tied to the bloody mast.”

_Armitage Hux_. Ben didn’t have time to process how Snoke and his crew had escaped from Isla de Muerta and taken over the _Supremacy_. All that mattered was that they’d taken his friend hostage, and now they were coming for the _Sea Falcon_. 

“Do we have any hope of outrunning them?” Rose asked, and Poe tried to put on a brave face. 

“The _Sea Falcon_ IS the fastest ship in the Caribbean. If anyone can outrun the _Supremacy_ , then it’s us.”

Finn put his hand on the captain’s shoulder, his gaze troubled. “That should be true. But the fact is, they shouldn’t have been able to get this close to us in the first place. I think maybe we should prepare for the worst.”

Ben felt that cold coil of dread deep inside him tightening still further, and he could tell that even in the brief time they’d been talking, the _Supremacy_ had reduced the distance between them even further. Soon, they’d be in range of the other ship’s cannons. 

“What are we going to do, Cap’n?” Wedge asked, turning to Poe. But before the captain could reply, it was Rey who spoke up. 

“I think we should turn and fight them.”

Everyone stared at Rey, giving her looks that were a mixture of skeptical and concerned. However, Rey stood her ground, the wind whipping out her hair and the fabric of her dress. 

“You think we should turn and fight the crown jewel of His Majesty’s Royal Navy, which is currently crewed by a horde of undead skeletons?” Poe asked. “Look, I’m not one to run from a fight, but even I can admit those are impossible odds.”

“But if we keep running, then they’ll just chase us down, firing at the rear of our ship until we sink,” Rey countered. “If we turn and fight, we at least have a chance.”

Ben had to admit, the thought of turning and facing Snoke terrified him. He’d seen what the pirates were capable of. Yet as he watched Rey, he felt a small flicker of courage beginning to kindle within him. He’d never been in a battle before, and neither had Rey, but her brazen determination not to back down inspired him. 

“You’re absolutely daft,” Poe told Rey, and then Ben noticed the pirate’s grin slowly returning. “Luckily for you, I like ‘daft.’”

“Well, the two of you will either save us, or get us killed,” Kaydel pronounced. “I’m in.”

Although Snap and a few of the others still had some quiet complaints to mutter, by now everyone had pretty much accepted that Rey was right. Standing and fighting was their only option, and they were all going to do their damndest to survive. 

***

Rose Tico stood back and watched the swirl of chaos around her, feeling like she should do something — anything — to help, but she wasn’t sure what that “something” should be. 

Even though right now she was more terrified than she’d ever been, she did not regret her decision to follow Rey here. Rey was her best friend, and Rose would not abandon her, even if it put her own life in danger. 

Rose assumed her parents and her sister had figured out by now where she’d gone. Although she hated the fact that she’d probably made them sick with worry, she hoped they’d understand. Rey was like a family member to them too. 

One of the pirates running by Rose shoved a musket into her hands, and he was gone before she could tell him she didn’t even know how to fire this. She wished Finn were here beside her; she’d developed a surprisingly strong friendship with Poe’s first mate even in the few days she’d known him, and he’d been teaching her a lot about the art of sailing. However, he wouldn’t be able to teach her much about the art of battle today; right now he was busy belowdecks, helping to man the cannons. 

Poe was standing at the wheel of the ship, having declared that if the _Sea Falcon_ would be attempting to pull off a risky gambit, then he wanted to be at the helm. She could see the fire burning in his eyes, and the danger they were facing seemed to thrill him rather than terrify him. 

Strangely enough, she could see some of that same fire burning in Rey’s eyes right now. While Ben looked grimly determined as he loaded his pair of pistols, the coming battle had apparently ignited a passionate fury within Rey, and she was practicing furiously with her sword, nearly cutting down one of the ropes securing the sails by accident.

Rose could guess what this was all about: Rey was still reacting to the news that her mother was a pirate who had abandoned her, and she was also probably more than ready to get some revenge on the pirate crew who had kidnapped Ben. Rose could understand her friend’s anger, and figured it would probably serve Rey well in the coming battle, fueling her courage and her determination to fight. 

However, Rose knew that level of anger could also be dangerous, driving Rey to take risks she might otherwise have never considered. Rose assumed there was no hope of actually defeating Snoke’s crew, and she hoped Poe and Rey would be content to incapacitate the _Supremacy_ and then quickly escape. Trying to fight Snoke and his crew in hand-to-hand combat would not end well for the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ , Rose feared. 

And speaking of fear, Rose was also afraid of what would happen to Commodore Armitage Hux. She’d heard Wedge’s report that the commodore was currently tied to the mast of the _Supremacy_ , and Rose was terrified Snoke would try to use Hux as some kind of bargaining chip, threatening to harm him if Poe didn’t surrender.

Rose was sure that most people saw her feelings for Armitage Hux as a silly little crush and believed she had no right to feel the level of attachment that she did. Sometimes she wondered if they were correct. After all, could one really be in love with a man you barely knew?

However, the very first time Rose had seen the commodore, she had been struck by the depth in his eyes and had thought about him every day since. This was a man who was very good at pretending to be a proper gentleman (he seemed a lot more concerned with keeping up appearances than Ben himself did). Still, he couldn’t quite hide the pain in his eyes that came from having a father who quietly resented him for even being born. 

Rose had seen those haunted eyes and wanted to take Hux’s wounded heart and make it whole again. She wanted to show him that he was worthy of being loved, to tell him that regardless of what his father thought of him, she was proud of all he’d accomplished. 

Rose loved to take broken things and fix them, but just as the difference in Rey and Ben’s social statuses had kept them apart, Rose was afraid she’d never be allowed to cross that gulf between her and Hux. All she could do today was try her best to save him, and hope that small act would show him that yes, there were people who cared about him for who he really was.

In the near distance, Rose heard the firing of a cannon, and saw that the _Supremacy_ had just taken its first shot at the _Sea Falcon_. While the cannonball fell short, it didn’t fall short by much. Soon, the _Supremacy_ would be upon them.

“Everyone, get ready!” Poe called out, and Rose clung to the mast, bracing herself for the first stage of Poe and Rey’s plan. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked over and saw Ben standing next to her, his face solemn but hopeful. 

“It’ll be all right, Miss Tico,” he said, and while Rose didn’t know if that was true or not, it comforted her all the same.

The _Supremacy_ fired another cannonball, and this one whizzed past the ship, almost taking out a chunk of the railing. 

“It’s time!” Rey exclaimed, but Poe shook his head. 

“No — we need them to get just a little closer.”

_Closer?_ Rose’s lungs felt so tight with anxiety that she could barely breathe, but she forced herself to grip her musket tighter as the third cannonball soared through the air. 

“Now!” Poe cried, and his crew abruptly dropped the ship’s anchor. 

The _Sea Falcon_ strained against the anchor, wood groaning as it turned and aimed its row of cannons at the bow of the _Supremacy_. Snoke obviously hadn’t been expecting Poe to try something this gutsy, and the _Supremacy_ was utterly unprepared as the _Sea Falcon_ fired off a volley of cannonballs. 

One of the cannonballs tore through the side of the _Supremacy_ , and Rose could hear screams of rage from Snoke’s crew. 

“Not expecting that, were you, you bastards?” Poe called out. “Well, there’s more where that came from!”

However, in the time it took for the _Sea Falcon_ to load their cannons, the _Supremacy_ had swung about and fired off a round of cannonballs of their own. Worse, they no longer seemed content to stay back and fire at the _Sea_ _Falcon_ from a distance. Snoke brought his ship right up alongside the _Sea Falcon_ , and Rose realized his crew was preparing to board. 

She had a very bad feeling about this…

***

The battle passed like a blur to Rey, in a flurry of smoke, shouts, and clamoring chaos. 

The _Sea Falcon_ and the _Supremacy_ both kept firing their cannons until the ships sailed right alongside each other. The crew of the _Supremacy_ lowered a plank from their ship to the _Sea Falcon_ , using it as a bridge to begin boarding. 

It was tempting to think of Snoke’s crews as ordinary enemies, as they looked like regular men in the daylight. However, Rey knew she couldn’t afford to forget they were still powered by magic and couldn’t die, until the curse was broken. 

Rey’s stomach twisted as she wondered, belatedly, if she and Poe had perhaps been overconfident. They’d thought that dropping the anchor and swinging around would win them the element of surprise, and technically, it had. Yet the _Supremacy_ hadn’t stopped its advance, and there was no way the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ , however brave, could fight off a boarding party of pirates who couldn’t die. 

“Rey, look out!” she heard Poe shouting to her, and she turned just in time to raise her sword to block a ghost pirate’s attack. He grinned at her with a mouth full of blackened, rotting teeth, and even though Rey knew she couldn’t actually damage him, she swung her sword at him anyway. He jumped backwards, his sense of self-preservation apparently still strong even though he was undead, and while he was distracted, Rey landed a solid kick in his chest that sent him tumbling overboard. 

“Well done!” Poe complimented her, appearing surprisingly impressed and flashing her a grin before being confronted by a pair of twin pirates charging at him. 

Rey looked over and saw Ben firing his pistols at the ghost pirates still trying to run across the plank from the _Supremacy_ to the _Sea Falcon_ , and while now was definitely not the time to allow herself to be distracted, she couldn’t help but notice how...well...dashing he looked. As the nephew of a nobleman, he hadn’t trained for this kind of battle, but he wasn’t backing away from the fight, even after all he had experienced while kidnapped by Snoke. 

_You love him...stop denying it..._

That voice inside her — the one she’d been trying to ignore since last night — admonished her harshly. She had hardly slept at all, wrestling with her thoughts about Ben, and even when she had fallen asleep, she’d dreamed about him too. Perhaps their lives were too entangled now to separate, no matter how much society might try to drive them apart. 

She watched, her heart constricting painfully, as Ben narrowly dodged a slash from a ghost pirate’s sword, and she wished he would take cover (even though that was somewhat hypocritical, as she herself was currently exposed in the middle of the battle). He was taking more risks than he should, especially as he started to fight his way across the plank so he could attempt to rescue his friend Armitage Hux. 

Rey could tell that none of her friends were doing too well right now; Poe was still dueling the twin ghost pirates, and Rose was frantically trying to figure out how to reload her musket. Finn had just taken a knife wound to the shoulder, and although it wasn’t serious, she could see his teeth gritted with pain as he tried to keep fighting. 

_You’re fighting a losing battle here...and all your friends are going to die._

Rey didn’t want to give that thought any quarter, but it forced its way into her mind all the same, killing both her courage and her concentration. Now that Snoke’s crew had boarded the _Sea Falcon_ , this battle was doomed to end in pain, blood, and death — and Poe’s crew would not be the ones left standing when the smoke finally cleared and all the screams and shouts were silenced. 

_Unless…_

Rey knew Poe wouldn’t like this plan, and would probably lock her in the brig for even suggesting it. But if it was her only chance to save her friends, then she would do what—

“Ben, no!”

She heard Armitage Hux’s voice rise above the tumult of battle, and Rey looked over to the deck of the _Supremacy_ just as Captain Snoke grabbed Ben from behind and held a knife to his throat. Ben had started to cut the ropes tying Hux to the mast, but now he was forced to drop his weapons and raise his hands in the air. The look in Ben’s eyes remained defiant, even as the edge of the knife nicked his skin and caused a thin trickle of blood to slide down his neck. 

Snoke leaned over to whisper something in Ben’s ear, and Rey felt her face flush bright red with rage as she imagined what kind of threats Snoke was making. And then, Snoke abruptly looked up and locked eyes with Rey, and his lips parted in a truly chilling grin. Regardless of whether he was a ghost or not, that man was a monster, and he needed to be stopped. Rey refused to allow him to do anything else to harm Benjamin Swann. 

“Captain Snoke — I command that you let him go!” 

Rey shoved her way through the chaos and jumped onto the plank bridging the gap between the two ships. Her stomach churned a little as she glanced down at the choppy waves below her, remembering her near drowning just a few days ago. However, now was not the time to let Snoke see any hint of fear. 

Snoke laughed — a sneering sound that made her feel like insects were crawling underneath her skin. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be making demands of me, girl,” he said. “What exactly are you hoping to accomplish?” He looked back and forth between Rey and Ben, and then started chuckling again. “Ah...there’s an attachment between the two of you, isn’t there? How charming. I guess I’ll need to apologize, then, dear girl, for what I’m about to do to your doomed lover — it’s time for him to pay the price for telling me so many lies.”

Rey felt a flutter of panic in her heart, and also a fresh burst of anger. She wished she could drive her sword right through that pirate bastard. 

“You will not draw a single drop of blood from Benjamin Swann,” Rey said, her voice as cold as the icy wind that had blown across the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ , heralding Snoke’s arrival. “Let him go now, and in exchange, I’ll surrender myself to you.” She could see the mocking sense of amusement rising in Snoke’s eyes, as if he wanted to ask, _And why should that matter to me?_ However, she shut down that mockery immediately with her confession: “My name is Rey Turner.”

Snoke tried to disguise how deeply hearing that name had shaken him, but Rey could tell her words had exactly the effect she’d intended. “Kira Turner is my mother,” she said. “I’m sure you can see the likeness. And unless you want to spend the rest of your days trapped in an undead hell, you need my blood to break the curse. If you release Ben now, you’ll have it.”

“Rey, don’t do this!” Ben called out to her, but Snoke silenced him with a sharp blow to the ribs. Ben doubled over in pain, coughing, and it took every sliver of Rey’s rapidly vanishing self control to keep from launching herself at Snoke right now and pummeling him to the deck. 

“Let’s say I’m interested in your offer,” Snoke said slowly. “Are those the extent of your terms, Miss Turner?”

“You’ll also have to release Poe and his crew, and the commodore and his crew,” she said. “And Poe gets to keep the _Sea Falcon_.” She’d do Poe that small favor for helping her, at least. 

Although Snoke made a show of critically mulling over her offer, she could tell that he’d already made up his mind. Breaking free of the curse was even more important to him than getting revenge on Poe. 

“You have a deal,” Snoke said, and then released Ben from his grip, shoving him forward. Ben fell on his hands and knees, and Rey ran to him, dropping down and taking his face in her hands. 

“Are you all right?” she asked him, wiping away the blood from the mark Snoke had left on his neck.

“Rey,” he gasped, still out of breath from Snoke’s blow to his side. He stared into her eyes, his own eyes filled with grief and pain. “Rey, please don’t do this. You can’t go with him. I—”

“You risked everything to save me,” she said softly, brushing a strand of dark hair from his eyes. “Now I’m risking everything to save you.” 

There was so much more she wished she could have told him, but Snoke grabbed her by the arm and yanked her upwards. Another ghost pirate slapped shackles around her wrists, and she watched as Ben, Hux, and the Royal Navy crew members were all escorted back to the _Sea Falcon_. 

“You know, after all this, I think I actually prefer the _Supremacy_ ,” Snoke remarked as he observed the exchange of prisoners, looking very much like a king holding court in his throne room. “Poe can keep his ridiculous _Sea Falcon_. ‘Captain James Snoke of the _Supremacy_ ’ has a wonderful ring to it, does it not?”

“Go to hell!” Ben called out, clearly trying to provoke a response, but Snoke just laughed. 

“I suppose in the end, you did do me a favor, even if you lied to me,” Snoke told Ben. “You helped deliver the true child of Kira Turner to me, and so helped me gain my freedom. I’ll be forever in your debt.”

“I won’t just leave her!” Ben cried out, and both Finn and Poe had to restrain him, to keep him from charging back across the plank to the _Supremacy_. 

“It’s all right, Ben,” Rey said, keeping her eyes locked on his as the pirates lifted the plank and prepared the _Supremacy_ to sail back to Isla de Muerta. “This is my choice. Let me do this for all of you.”

“But Rey…” She saw the anguished tears rising in his eyes, and she bit her lip — hard — to try to distract herself from her own urge to cry. Snoke’s crew started to drag her belowdecks, but not before she heard Ben shout, “I love you!”

And then she was plunged into darkness.

***

Everyone on board the _Sea Falcon_ watched numbly as the _Supremacy_ sailed away, eventually disappearing beyond the horizon. Poe knew he should start assessing the damage that had been done to his ship, but he found he didn’t have the energy for it. Even though he finally had his beloved ship back — and Snoke had relinquished all claims to it — Poe still felt incredibly empty inside. 

He couldn’t forget the brave, stubborn look on Rey’s face as she’d surrendered herself to Snoke, or the grief in Ben’s eyes as he’d watched her leave. He knew what that kind of loss felt like. And no matter how much Poe and Rey had argued and picked at each other, he realized he cared about what happened to her, and also to Ben. 

_Damn, I’m getting soft,_ he thought to himself, although he knew that if Finn could hear his thoughts, he’d tell Poe that he was experiencing a normal human emotion: compassion. Besides, even if Poe tried to portray himself as a hardened pirate, he didn’t want to be known as the same sort of bloodthirsty bastard that Snoke was. 

“Where do we go from here, Cap’n?” Kaydel asked, when the silence had dragged on too long for everyone to tolerate. 

All Poe could do was shrug. “I don’t have any bloody idea. I hired you all to help me rescue Benjamin Swann and get the _Sea Falcon_ back. Well, we’ve done that, so I suppose I need to take you all back to Tortuga.” He glanced over at Hux, who was starting to object. “As for you Royal Navy lot — and Ben and Rose — I’ll take you back to Port Royal; however, you have to swear that Finn and I will not be arrested again.”

“But if we go to Tortuga and Port Royal first, we won’t make it back to Isla de Muerta in time to save Rey.”

Finn’s voice was quiet as he spoke up, but he had the full attention of every single person standing on the deck. “We can’t just leave her, Poe.”

Poe had expected Finn to say this. Finn had always been more than just Poe’s first mate — he was Poe’s conscience, a reflection of the better parts of Poe’s self. He’d known Finn wouldn’t be content to just leave Rey to her fate, even if going after her would cost everything they had. 

“I’m not going back to Port Royal,” Ben agreed. “I’ll take a lifeboat and row all the way to Isla de Muerta by myself if I have to.”

“And I’d be with you in that boat,” Rose declared. “Rey is my best friend. Either I go home with her, or I don’t go at all.”

“But Rey’s not an official member of this crew,” Snap piped up, always the voice of dissent. “And she’s not even a pirate. I’m sorry for what happened to her, really I am. But we didn’t sign up for a secondary mission.”

Poe wasn’t surprised there was at least one person who wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a rescue mission. They were all pirates, after all. However, Poe knew that if he offered enough money, Snap and some of the other more reluctant pirates would change their minds. If he wanted to, Poe could make this happen — he just had to surrender the remaining gold he’d been saving up to make repairs to his ship. He’d worked hard — and sacrificed so much — to get that small pile of treasure. Could he really give it all up for the sake of a person he’d only known for a few days, and who didn’t even really like him? 

“What’s your opinion on all of this, Commodore?” he asked Hux, in an attempt to postpone his decision for just a little while longer. “I suppose that since you’re here, you should get a vote.”

“Well, I know what my father, the admiral, would say,” Hux said. “I should take all of you pirates back to Port Royal immediately and arrest you. That’s what a good officer would do. But…” He glanced over at Ben, and put a hand on his obviously distraught friend’s shoulder. “More than being a good officer, I want to be a good man. I’m willing to go to this Isla de Muerta to save Rey. We’ll sort out the rest of the details later.”

Snap looked around at the other crew members thoughtfully. “Well, I suppose that for some additional money...I could be persuaded to join this quest.”

And there it was. Poe had all the pieces he needed to launch this rescue mission; he just had to give the word. 

Poe would never admit it, but Hux’s comment about wanting to be a good man had moved him. Poe had spent a lot of time in his life scheming how to be a good pirate; maybe it was time to reach for a different goal. 

“All right you sea dog, I’ll pay you extra,” Poe told Snap. “So it looks like we’re all going back to Isla de Muerta.” He felt a surprisingly warm and wonderful feeling in his chest when he saw the way Finn, Rose, and Ben’s eyes lit up as they heard this news. 

_Damn, I AM getting soft…_

“So, what’s the plan?” Finn asked with a grin, and while Poe didn’t exactly have one yet, he had the beginnings of an idea, which under the circumstances was good enough. 

“Last time we interrupted the ritual with a grenade,” he said. “Unfortunately, Snoke is no fool, and so we aren’t going to be able to use a simple trick like that again. As you already know, it’s hard to get rid of pirates who can’t die. So it looks like we’ll have to find a way to fight magic with magic.”

Poe could almost hear Finn’s unasked question: _Is it time to visit HER?_

Poe wasn’t ready for that yet, but he had to admit that they did need outside help. Preferably from someone they could stop by and see on their way to Isla de Muerta, so they didn’t lose precious time, and also preferably someone who would actually be excited to help Poe (or at least owed him a debt). 

A name popped into his mind, and although he wasn’t thrilled with that option, he realized it was probably the best that he could hope for. 

“Set a course for Isla de Muerta,” Poe told Wedge. “I’ve got a plan.”


	9. By Blood Undone

Rey assumed she’d spend the rest of the journey to Isla de Muerta locked in the brig of Snoke’s ship, sitting in the darkness with her arms wrapped around her knees. 

She supposed it was better than standing on the deck and listening to Captain Snoke pontificate. Blast, she really hated that man. It wasn’t merely about what he was doing to her; her heart burned with fury whenever she thought of how close the pirate had come to killing Benjamin Swann. She’d never forget the terror she’d felt as Snoke grabbed Ben and pressed a blade to his neck. She knew Snoke would have cut Ben’s throat if she hadn’t interfered, offering to turn herself over to him in exchange for Ben’s freedom. Even though Rey’s father had taught her that all pirates were bad, Rey knew Poe was capable of redemption. But Snoke? He was lost beyond all hope. 

Although the _HMS Supremacy_ was an inanimate vessel, the ship itself seemed to be suffering under Snoke’s control. The brig was musty and damp, and while the ship had been in the cursed pirates’ care for only a brief time, the wood was already starting to rot. Rey found herself wondering if the curse dictated that everything the pirates touched withered, even if they themselves could not die. 

Shortly after nightfall, the captain’s equally loathsome first mate, Canady, stomped down to the brig and informed Rey that Captain Snoke had invited her to dinner. Rey wanted to refuse; she didn’t want to be in that man’s presence anymore than she had to. However, she could already feel her stomach aching with hunger, and she realized that if she wanted to keep up her strength for her escape attempt, then she needed to eat. Of course, she didn’t exactly have a plan yet for how she would escape, only that she was going to try very, very hard to be a thorn in Snoke’s side until she could find a way to run away from him on Isla de Muerta. 

Snoke had taken over what used to be Commodore Armitage Hux’s cabin on board the _Supremacy_ , and he had set a dining table with a fancy table covering, fine china, and flickering candles. Snoke smiled at her in that slimy, skin-crawling way of his, but Rey refused to acknowledge him as she took a seat at the opposite end of the table. 

“Please, help yourself,” Snoke said, passing a tray of meat to Rey, which she took from him hungrily. “You may be our prisoner, but I’d rather you think of yourself as my guest.”

Rey shot him a glare that she hoped conveyed the depth of her hatred for him. “Please, don’t insult me. I know what this is all about. You did this exact same thing for Ben: you invited him to dinner, and then told him you needed a blood sacrifice to break your curse. I already know all about the Nightsisters and Isla de Muerta, so you can skip telling me that story and save your breath. The only reason I’m tolerating your company is that I’m starving.”

Snoke laughed, a rasping sound in his throat. “And I thought Benjamin Swann had a fiery streak! I can see now that his temper pales in comparison to yours. You truly are the daughter of Kira Turner. Even if you hadn’t told me your name, it’s absolutely obvious.”

“Are you so certain in your powers of observation?” Rey asked, shoving a roll in her mouth. The food was absolutely delicious, although she wouldn’t lower herself to complimenting Snoke on his feast. “After all, you were convinced that Ben was a Turner before you met me.”

Although Snoke’s grin remained fixed on his face, Rey saw the look in his eyes harden ever so slightly. She’d wounded his pride, however much he might not want to admit it. 

“Perhaps I did allow my eagerness to break free of the curse to cloud my judgement,” Snoke said. “But I’m convinced that you, dear girl, are a real Turner. Perhaps even stronger and more clever than your mother.”

“I don’t want to hear about my mother,” Rey snapped. “Especially not from you.” Her voice quavered as she mentioned her mother, and she cursed herself for allowing her façade of strength to slip, even if it was only just a little.

Snoke immediately latched onto this moment of weakness, and decided to press her further. 

“You hate her because she abandoned you,” he said. “Because for her, piracy came first and family came second. Perhaps you are a better woman than her, but I suspect the truth is that you have no reason to judge.”

“I wouldn’t ever do what she did,” Rey fired back, and Snoke leaned forward, his gaze growing more intense as he stared at her, his eyes burning into her soul. She wanted to back away from him, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m nothing like her.”

“Really? Well, from what I’ve observed, you’re already quite the pirate,” Snoke replied. “You helped steal this very ship from Port Royal, and you teamed up with infamous pirate Poe Dameron. Unless I’m mistaken, that’s still a hanging offense in the eyes of the crown.”

“Poe isn’t as much of a scoundrel as he likes to think,” Rey said. She was a little surprised at herself for defending him, but perhaps meeting Snoke had shown Rey that Poe wasn’t really a true villain. “He’s a good man — or at least, he could be one someday. You, however, are beyond redemption. And you deserve to be cursed for your pride and insistence on playing with supernatural powers beyond your control.”

“Hmmm…” Rey didn’t like the way Snoke was watching her thoughtfully. “Miss Turner, I find it fascinating that Poe has managed to portray himself as a hero in your eyes. I’m guessing that means he hasn’t informed you of his own dealings with the Nightsisters, then.”

Rey felt a creeping sense of uneasiness in her stomach, but she fought back against it. She shouldn’t accept any words coming out of Snoke’s mouth as fact. Of course he’d try to lie to her and damage her opinion of Poe. 

“Did Poe tell you how he acquired the _Sea Falcon_?” Snoke persisted, and Rey recalled Poe’s words to her that day he’d first showed her his magic compass. 

_“The same woman who gave me the Sea Falcon also gave me this compass,” Poe had told her. “But that’s another story for another time…”_

“Poe has always loved the _Sea Falcon_ , but she hasn’t always been his,” Snoke explained. “The _Sea Falcon_ has had many names and many captains in the years she’s sailed the seas. People may say a ship can’t have a soul, but the _Sea Falcon_...well, there was always something different about her. She was never content with just one master, and she tended to transfer hands in the most violent of ways. Until one night, when a hurricane finally sank her. 

“Poe was heartbroken when he heard she was lost — he told me the whole story when I was his first mate. And though many advised him against it, he sought help from a dangerous ally: Mother Talzin, queen of the Nightsisters.”

Rey had never heard the name “Mother Talzin” before, but when Snoke said the words, a cold sliver of fear slid down her back. She might not know who Mother Talzin was, but she could sense the reverence and respect with which Snoke had mentioned her name. And if Snoke thought Mother Talzin was worthy of deference, then Rey was probably smart to view her as a threat. 

“Mother Talzin has long been the most powerful sorceress in the Caribbean, commanding dark powers beyond the understanding of mere mortals,” Snoke said. “Those who dare to bargain with her will find her price is always very, very high. But Poe knew of no other way to raise his beloved _Sea Falcon_ from the depths, and so bargain with Mother Talzin he did. 

“Apparently she took a liking to him — she’s always found bold impertinence amusing. She resurrected the _Sea Falcon_ for him, and even threw his magic compass into the bargain.”

Rey didn’t want to believe this tale Snoke was telling her, but she’d noticed that Poe did seem reluctant to talk about his past. And where else could he have gotten a magic compass but from someone who could use magic themselves?

“What did Mother Talzin ask for in return?” Rey asked, and Snoke smiled cryptically. 

“No one but Poe knows. Perhaps Mother Talzin hasn’t come to collect her payment yet. But she will, and knowing Poe and how he operates, he is utterly unprepared for that reckoning. Do you find yourself now regretting your alliance with him?”

Despite the fact that her stomach wasn’t yet full, Rey found she’d suddenly lost her appetite. None of what Snoke had told her necessarily meant that Poe was a bad man; however, he had done something dangerous, and Rey wondered what the consequences would be. Were Ben and Rose and Finn actually safe with him? Just how terrible of a debt did he owe to this Mother Talzin? 

Rey set down her fork and stood up from the table.

“I’d like to return to my cell,” she said, and she hated how pleased Snoke looked. He could tell that he’d rattled her, and he liked it.

“By all means,” he said dismissively, and Canady stepped back into the room to escort her back to the brig. Rey supposed that meant he’d been listening the whole time. 

However, Snoke wasn’t quite ready to release her from his tedious company yet. 

“You can choose to remove yourself from the conversation, Rey Turner,” Snoke remarked to her as Canady shackled her wrists again. “But you cannot remove yourself from this story. Your name is woven through the lines, as deeply as your mother’s was. Your Turner blood will set me free, but it will trap you forever. You cannot escape your destiny.”

“You don’t get to define my destiny,” Rey retorted, even though deep inside she was haunted by doubt. Had her family heritage actually doomed her? 

“You’ll be a pirate, just like your mother,” Snoke pronounced. “However, I would highly recommend you rethink your partnership with Poe Dameron. You could join me instead; once you’ve given us a few drops of your blood to break the curse, then you can become a member of my crew. Don’t let Dameron and the rest of his pathetic friends hold you back — THIS is what you were meant to be.”

“Never,” Rey spat, and Snoke’s eyes narrowed. 

“Careful, girl. I’m a patient man, but I can only tolerate so much insolence. Why don’t you think about my offer as you’re sitting in the darkness? And remember — you can choose whether or not to join my crew, but regardless, we’ll get that blood from you to break the curse. Even if we have to take it by force.” 

*** 

Ben was nearly sick with worry by the time the _Sea Falcon_ pulled into a port at a small island — a brief detour on their way to Isla de Muerta. 

Ben understood why Poe had chosen to stop here; the pirate captain claimed they were going to need extra help to defeat Snoke and his crew, and this island wasn’t very far out of their way. Still, every second they remained anchored at this island was another second Rey was left alone with Snoke. What if they didn’t make it back in time to stop the ritual? What did Snoke plan to do with Rey after the curse was broken? What if Snoke decided to—

“You gotta stop that fretting — now you’re making ME nervous.” Poe patted Ben on the back. “I promise, we’ll make it to Isla de Muerta in time to save your paramour — just trust me.”

“What?” Ben replied moodily. “I wasn’t saying anything.”

“But I can tell what you’re thinking,” Poe countered. “When we go ashore, I’m going to need you to project a little more confidence.”

“I thought just you and Finn were going ashore,” Ben said. “To ask for help from this friend of yours...or whoever she is.” Poe hadn’t provided many details yet about the sort of help they’d be seeking on the island, which hadn’t necessarily surprised Ben. Poe wasn’t ever that forthcoming with information. 

“I may need you to help convince her,” Poe said, in a rare bit of vulnerable honesty. “Tell her how much Rey means to you, and hopefully that will move her. Besides, she likes tall, broody men with dark hair, so whether you want to or not, you’re definitely coming.

And that was that. 

Poe, Ben, and Finn quickly disembarked the _Sea Falcon_ and hadn’t walked very far down the island’s jungle pathway before they came upon a winding wooden staircase leading up to a treehouse overlooking the forest. 

“Lady V, I know you’re here!” Poe called up into the trees. “Will you promise not to put a curse on us if we start to climb up?”

Although Ben saw no sign of movement from within the treehouse, he heard a woman’s resonant voice reply, “For your two friends I will promise safety. But for YOU, Poe Dameron, there are no guarantees.”

Poe chuckled, although Ben could still sense a little nervous tension from the captain. “Ah, Lady V, it’s always good to see you.”

Poe led Ben and Finn up the winding staircase to the treehouse, and waiting for them was a woman unlike any person Ben had ever seen. 

Her skin was pale, almost ashen, with what appeared to be dark gray tattoos on her face. She was wearing a simple black dress with a jeweled red belt and gray armwraps. She’d shaved her head, and she had the piercing sort of eyes that looked as though they could peer straight into your soul. 

Her “house” was basically just an open-air wooden platform built into the surrounding trees, and it had a thatched roof to keep out the rain. The treehouse had a simple bed, a table and a single chair, and a shelf stacked with what appeared to be potions and other supernatural ornaments used in the practice of magic. A large white snake lay curled up on the floor near the bed, and Ben was thankful it appeared to be sleeping. If the snake wanted to, it could easily wrap itself around his legs and crush him. 

“What brings you here?” Lady V asked Poe, the unusual cadence in her voice strangely seductive. “I’m assuming you’re in need of help. Unfortunately, I believe I still do owe you a favor.” Her eyes flicked over to Finn and Ben, and her smile widened. “At least you’ve brought two very handsome companions with you. What have you told them about me?”

“He’s told me nothing, really,” Ben admitted, and Poe shot him a glare. Poe had asked that Finn and Ben let him do all the talking, but Lady V’s strange mannerisms had thrown Ben off balance. When Lady V asked a question, she commanded a response.

Lady V laughed. “Good — perhaps that means Poe is still a little afraid of me. Even though he should well know that these days I’m more mischievous than dangerous. I broke my ties to the Nightsisters a long time ago, and I let go of my real name — keeping only one letter — as a reminder of my past.”

_Ties to the Nightsisters…_ So apparently, Lady V was once a member of the clan of witches who had left the cursed treasure on Isla de Muerta. No wonder Poe was a little nervous around her; although Lady V had given up her allegiance to the Nightsisters, he assumed she was still capable of delving into dark magic. 

“I won’t waste your time, Lady V,” Poe said, clearly in a hurry to move this meeting along. “The short story is, my former first mate Snoke kidnapped our friend Rey, who is the daughter of Kira Turner. Snoke and his crew got cursed by taking the treasure from Isla de Muerta, and they’re going to use Rey’s blood to try to break that curse. We’ve got to save Rey, but it’s awfully hard to fight pirates who can’t die.”

Lady V’s eyes grew stormy, brewing with a cloud of anger directed not towards Poe but some unidentified target. 

“Please — I can’t lose Rey,” Ben spoke up, recalling Poe’s statement that his encouragement might help persuade Lady V to help them. “I...I love her more than anything.”

It was the slightest of shifts — barely even noticeable — but Ben could tell that his words had moved Lady V. 

“I can see that,” she said, turning and staring off into the distance, lost in her own memories or thoughts. “Is this Rey anything like her mother?”

“Not really,” Poe said. “They look alike, but Rey is...good. Loyal. Brave. She’s a better woman than her mother.”

“Good.” Lady V nodded. “Well, I know a thing or two about rebelling against the legacy of one’s mother.” She glanced over at Ben. “Knowing Poe, he probably hasn’t told you anything about this, but I was like a daughter to Mother Talzin, queen of the Nightsisters and the architect of the curse that haunts Isla de Muerta. Mother Talzin and I have...a very complicated history, and though I wouldn’t normally try to interfere in her work, I do owe Poe a favor, and I believe this Rey is worth helping.”

She knelt beside a chest at the foot of her bed and opened it, pulling out a bundle of items. 

“I can’t leave this island to come with you,” she said. “But I can give you these tools to help: an enchanted cloak, a sphere of light, and an elixir of madness.”

Ben desperately wanted to ask: _What are we supposed to do with those?_ But Poe elbowed him sharply in the side, as if to warn him that questioning Lady V right now was not a good idea.

“It’s up to you to decide what to do with them,” Lady V said, as if sensing Ben’s question. “And if anyone asks where you found them, please tell them that you stole them. I can’t have word getting out that I’m going soft and helping sad little mortals.”

“Thank you,” Poe said, clutching the satchel of items to his chest as if they were the most precious objects in the world. Perhaps they were. 

“I now consider the debt between us to be paid,” Lady V said. “However, the debt that remains between you and my mother is no business of mine. Believe me, she hasn’t forgotten.”

“I didn’t think that she had,” Poe replied. “But maybe...she’s in no hurry to collect her payment?”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Lady V replied.

Ben had many more questions he felt he needed to ask — particularly in regards to Poe and this Mother Talzin — but it was clear that their audience with Lady V was over. Poe, Ben, and Finn quickly made their way down the treehouse staircase, and then boarded the ship, setting sail once again. 

Ben noticed that a sudden, stiff breeze had started blowing across the ocean, causing the ship to pick up speed until it was practically flying across the water. Perhaps a little bit of additional magic from Lady V, to hurry them on their way?

Ben wasn’t sure whether he should be comforted by that or not.

***

Rey wondered what had been going through Ben’s mind as he made his trek through the dense jungle of Isla de Muerta on his way to the cave buried deep within the island. She wished she could have been there to comfort him, to reassure him that everything would be all right. She comforted herself with the knowledge that he was on his way back to the safety of Port Royal right now, along with her best friend Rose. Whatever happened to Rey during or after the ritual, it would be worth it, to ensure that her friends were safe. 

Snoke made her walk in the front of the group as his crew traveled to the cave, so that everyone could keep an eye on her. She’d been bold enough to attempt an escape once so far, but Canady had caught her by the arm before she’d taken a single step off the path. He’d kept his hand around her arm in a vice-like grip ever since. 

As they began their descent into the cave’s dark depths, Rey studied the strange markings that had been carved into the cave’s walls. It was difficult to see much detail in the flickering lights from the pirates’ torches, although that didn’t really matter since she didn’t know what language the words were written in anyway. 

She found herself wondering what would happen to the island itself after Snoke had used her blood to break the curse. Would it begin to heal itself, or had it been permanently poisoned by Mother Talzin when she created the curse? Sometimes when things were broken, they just couldn’t be put back together again — and that thought made Rey incredibly sad. 

Finally, they arrived at the cavern with the altar and the chest of cursed treasure, where Rey had previously rescued Ben. The pirates began their chanting as Snoke escorted Rey up to the altar. Even though she knew in her head there was no chance of escape, she fought him all the way, forcing him to practically drag her to the chest. He might win in the end, but she was going to make it a bloody challenge for him. 

“It would be much easier if you simply cooperated,” Snoke hissed, and Rey spat at his feet. 

“I don’t care. You can make me give you my blood to break the curse, but I’ll never join you or your crew. Even if you break the curse, you’ll never get your soul back.”

“Maybe I’ll just leave you on the island, then,” Snoke said. “Or we’ll sail to the middle of the ocean and make you walk the plank. Why don’t you ponder THAT as we complete the ritual?”

Rey could feel her heart thudding in her chest as Snoke grabbed hold of her wrist and twisted it painfully, exposing her palm. The pirates’ chanting grew louder and louder, as Snoke drew out his knife and prepared to slide the blade across Rey’s palm above the chest of treasure. She tried to wiggle her wrist out of his grip, but his hold on her was too tight. 

“Thank you for your participation, Miss Turner,” Snoke sneered, lowering his knife towards her. “Willing or not.”

Rey winced and shut her eyes, bracing herself for a painful cut that, to her great surprise, never actually came. 

Because at that moment, a shrill shrieking sound pierced the air, and a cloud of glowing green mist lit up the back of the cave. The pirates immediately stopped chanting, staring nervously at the strange phenomenon in front of them. 

“Is the curse...breaking?” Canady asked, and Snoke slapped his first mate. 

“You idiot, of course not — we haven’t spilled the girl’s blood yet. This is something else…”

As a shadowy form emerged from the green cloud, Rey watched the pirates shrink back in terror. She didn’t recognize this strange spectre, but apparently they did. The ghostly woman wore blood red robes with an elaborate headdress that curled in numerous spires above her head. Rey heard one of the pirates gasp, “Mother Talzin!” in horror. 

“Be gone from this place, you scabrous dogs,” the spectre hissed, and several pirates immediately started running away, until Snoke screamed at them to stop or he would kill them himself. 

“Oh great Queen of the Nightsisters, we haven’t come to take your treasure,” Snoke said, trying to placate the angry spirit. “We’ve returned every single piece of the treasure, and once we break the curse, I promise you, we shall never return to this place again.”

While Rey was plenty terrified herself, she did experience a small amount of pleasure at the sight of Snoke groveling.

The spectre shrieked again as the glowing green mist swirled around her. “You have angered me, James Snoke. Leave this place now, or I will strike you down.”

More of the pirates had started fleeing by now, and even Snoke’s threats could not stop them. They obviously feared Mother Talzin more than they feared him. 

“Be GONE!” the spectre screamed, and then from the folds of her robe produced what Rey could best describe as a glowing green sphere of light. She flung the orb at the pirates, and it smashed against the wall of the cave, shattering and filling the cave with a blinding green light. 

Snoke let go of Rey’s wrist, and despite her own confusion and panic, Rey’s instincts were still sharp enough for her to react to this fortunate slip and dart out of his reach. She hoped this Mother Talzin would understand that she was a captive, rather than an ally, of Snoke. Rey definitely didn’t want to stick around to experience the aftermath of the witch’s rage. 

Snoke cowered before the spectre as she floated closer and closer, and then, inexplicably, the ghost seemed to…“trip”? Rey didn’t think ghosts could actually trip over anything, but the woman’s feet had apparently gotten caught in her robe. 

“Bloody hell!” the spectre cursed, and suddenly, Mother Talzin didn’t sound very much like Mother Talzin anymore. She sounded a lot like...Poe Dameron?

“Poe, you’ve blown your own cover!” someone shouted from deeper within the cave, and suddenly, the illusion was broken. Poe Dameron was standing in front of her, wearing a black cloak that must have been enchanted and allowed himself to appear to the pirates as Mother Talzin. Only, the magic had apparently run out. 

“What devilry is this?” Snoke cursed, as Poe was forced to toss aside the now-useless cloak. 

“I stole these very helpful objects from a former Nightsister,” Poe said, bowing as if he were an actor who’d just finished a performance on stage. “I wish the enchanted cloak had lasted just a little longer, but it was useful enough. You should have seen the look of sheer, bloody terror on your face, Snoke — it was really hard not to laugh.”

The glint in Snoke’s eyes turned murderous, and he unsheathed his sword, pointing it at Poe. “I don’t know what sort of sorcery allowed you to pull off this little trick, but it’s over now, and you’re going to pay very dearly for making me look a fool. My undead crew will make quick work of all the pathetic little allies you’ve brought with you.”

Poe glanced around the cavern and then shrugged. “What undead crew? Looks to me like the only ones here are you and Canady.”

Snoke glanced around, just as Poe had, and Rey could practically feel the fury radiating from him like a furnace. 

“Then they will pay for abandoning me too!” Snoke heard Canady take a hesitant step towards the cave’s exit and immediately pressed the tip of his blade against his first mate’s neck. “Don’t you think about running, Canady. You so much as blink, and I’ll spill your blood right here.”

Poe shook his head. “You know, Canady, I don’t blame you for wanting to run. If I was Snoke’s first mate, I’d want to run away too.” (Snoke glowered.) “But...there’s really no point in trying to escape back to the _Supremacy_. You see, Commodore Armitage Hux and his Royal Navy officers came with me, and they’re actually waiting on board the _Supremacy_ right now to catch any of your crew members, Snoke, who try to get away. And it looks like you and Canady are a little outnumbered in this cave right now as well — even if you are undead.”

Perfectly on cue, Poe’s backup stepped out of the shadows, and Rey saw that Ben, Rose, Finn, Wedge, and Kaydel were all here as well. For the briefest of seconds, she felt angry at Ben and Rose, because she had surrendered herself to Snoke expressly so that Ben and Rose could escape — not so that they could come running back here to risk everything and try to rescue her. However, what she mainly felt right now was relief, and she realized she’d never been more grateful to see all her friends than she was right now. 

“You fools,” Snoke seethed. “I will kill every single one of you. And Rey and Ben, you two will be last. Ben, I will force you to watch as I slit Rey’s throat and use that blood to break the curse, and then I’ll kill you nice and slow so you can have plenty of time to wallow in your grief.”

Rey wanted to tell Ben not to let Snoke’s words get to him; the pirate was only trying to provoke him, in hopes that Ben would get so angry he wouldn’t think straight. Unfortunately, Snoke’s words worked exactly as intended, and before Rey could cry out to Ben to stop, he charged at Snoke, swinging wildly at the pirate.

“Ben, slow down!” Poe called, although Rey doubted Ben was listening. Rose fired her musket at Canady, and although the bullet sailed clean through him without damaging him, thanks to the curse, it did distract him long enough for Kaydel to sneak up behind him and knock him down. 

Snoke slashed across Ben’s chest, and Rey screamed. Thankfully, Ben leapt backwards just in time, and the cut was only a scratch. But still, it made him stumble, and Rey could see his face tightening in a grimace of pain. 

Although Snoke tried to take advantage of this moment to swing at Ben again, Poe jumped between them, and his own blade clattered against Snoke’s.

“This is between you and me, Snoke,” Poe said. “Let’s finish this — here and now.”

Snoke grinned wickedly. “It would be my pleasure.”

Around and around the altar Poe and Snoke dueled, while Rose, Wedge, and Kaydel managed to finally subdue Canady and tie him up. Although they couldn’t kill him, his supernatural abilities thankfully hadn’t given him the power to magically escape from the rope they’d wound around him and then secured with a knot. 

With Canady out of the way and Snoke occupied, Rey realized that now was her moment. After making sure that Ben was all right (Finn was currently winding a bandage around his chest), she stepped up to the altar, desperately hoping Snoke wasn’t paying attention to her. 

Poe hadn’t had time to go over any sort of plan with Rey, but there was really only one way this situation could play out favorably for her friends. In order for Poe to truly defeat Snoke, Rey would have to break the curse, making Snoke mortal again. Rey wasn’t sure if any ill effects would come from breaking the curse, and she had the sudden fear that maybe the pirates had missed one of the necessary blood sacrifices, and her own blood wouldn’t actually make Snoke vulnerable.

But there wasn’t time to worry about that now. She could see that Snoke’s relentless attack was wearing Poe out, as the undead pirate captain drove his sword against Poe’s again, and again, and again. 

Rey knew it was time. 

Grabbing the knife that Snoke had dropped when “Mother Talzin” appeared, she raised it up, and with a trembling hand, she sliced into her own palm. 

Too late, Snoke realized what she was doing, and he screamed at her in rage. But by the time he reached her, she’d already lowered her hand over the chest and allowed three tiny drops of blood to hit the pile of silver coins. 


	10. The Price We Pay

_Drip._   
_Drip._   
_Drip._

Three tiny, seemingly insignificant drops of blood. 

Rey didn’t even feel their loss, although her palm still stung from the cut she’d made with Snoke’s knife. Rey had injured herself many, many times just like this in Cornelius Plutt’s blacksmith shop, and normally, she’d just grab a makeshift bandage and keep working. 

But this time, it was different. Because as those three drops of blood splashed onto the silver coins piled in the chest on the ancient altar, she shattered the bonds of the curse that had protected Snoke and his crew from death. She’d just proved she really was the daughter of pirate Kira Turner — for better or worse — and her blood carried a power that Snoke never should have underestimated. 

She didn’t feel any different after making the small sacrifice, but she supposed that’s because she herself hadn’t actually been cursed. She’d just paid the debt that her mother had owed. However, Rey hadn’t done this to free her mother (wherever she was). She’d done it to save the man she loved — Benjamin Swann — and Rose, Finn, and all her other friends who had risked so much to come here and rescue her. And yes, a smaller, darker corner of herself had also wanted to do this to get revenge on Snoke. He’d been living with a borrowed immortality, and now it was time for his bill to come due. 

Snoke had obviously wanted to break the curse — so that he could taste, smell, feel, and truly _live_ again — but he hadn’t wanted to do it while he was fighting Poe. He wanted to hold onto that supernatural shield for a little while longer, because once the curse was broken, he’d be vulnerable again. 

Snoke could obviously feel the change taking place within him already. His expression was a strange blend of agony and joyous release; she could tell he finally felt like a normal human again, something he’d desperately longed for. Yet there was also misery, because it had been a long, long time since he’d experienced real pain, and the wound Poe had just dealt him burned sharply. 

Canady’s face immediately turned ashen, as he too felt the change inside himself. He was currently tied up, at the complete mercy of Kaydel, Wedge, and Rose, and he realized that they now held his life in their hands. Although Snoke screamed at him to stand up and defend himself, Canady did not budge. He knew the battle was already lost, and he’d rather surrender in shame and escape with his life, than go down fighting. 

“It’s over, Snoke.” Poe finally lowered his sword and took a moment to stop and catch his breath. Snoke had run him absolutely ragged, and his face was now drenched in sweat and his breathing was heavy. 

Cursed Snoke could have dueled Poe all day, but now the fatigue from the battle was catching up to him too. He was remembering what it was like to be a fragile human, with stamina that could quickly be drained. 

“I will never surrender to you,” Snoke said. “Kill me if you must, but I won’t give you the satisfaction of watching me beg for my life.”

“Well, I’m done fighting,” Poe said, throwing up his hands. “You can allow us to shackle you and take you back to Port Royal to face justice, or I can maroon you on some little island we pass along the way. It’s your choice.”

Snoke’s eyes smoldered with a hatred more bitter than Rey had ever seen in a human’s eyes before, and frankly, it scared her a little. Now that his immortal powers were gone, Snoke’s rage was the only thing sustaining him, and it made him unstable and dangerous. 

“You know why I led a mutiny against you, Poe?” Snoke said at last, as he clutched his wounded arm and attempted to stop the blood flow. He still hadn’t let go of his sword. “It’s because you were never worthy of the _Sea Falcon_ , or of commanding a crew. I don’t know how you managed to charm Mother Talzin into raising that ship from the depths, when she refused to do it for me. You’re barely a pirate — your heart is far too soft. You don’t have the mettle to sustain you through the storm that’s coming.”

Poe sighed heavily, growing weary of Snoke’s tirade. “What storm? Your undead crew was the biggest threat in the Caribbean, and now that’s gone.”

“If you believe you’re safe now, then you’re a fool,” Snoke said. “You might see the Royal Navy as your temporary allies, but they’ll turn on you as soon as you get back to Port Royal. Someday, they’ll decide to dedicate their firepower to wiping all the pirates off the map of the Caribbean, and none of your good deeds will save you from that reckoning.”

“Well, that sounds like a problem for Poe Dameron in the future,” Poe replied flippantly, dismissing Snoke’s foreboding claims. It was impossible to tell if he believed any of it or not. “Right now, my main concern is dealing with you. So, what will it be: would you rather be arrested or marooned?”

“I think you should just kill him,” Kaydel muttered, but Poe ignored her. Rey was more than a little surprised; after Snoke had ruined Poe’s life, she would have thought he’d be desperate for revenge. But maybe he didn’t want to stoop to Snoke’s level. He didn’t need to coldly murder Snoke in order for justice to be done. 

“Maroon me if you must,” Snoke said. “But if I’m going to be left on an island to die, then I’m taking at least one of you with me.” He locked eyes with Rey, and she involuntarily shivered. “You may have beaten me, girl, but I still have the power to make you suffer.”

Snoke whipped out a pistol he’d hidden in his coat and aimed it at Ben. Rey screamed, and Finn cried out, “No!” just as a gun went off. But it was not Snoke’s gun that fired. As if anticipating what his former first mate would do, Poe had drawn his own pistol, and fired it at Snoke before he could injure Ben. 

Snoke gasped and dropped to his knees, clutching his side where the bullet had gone in. 

“You bastard,” he hissed at Poe, but Poe only shook his head, a surprisingly sad, haunted look in his eyes. 

“I didn’t want to kill you, Snoke,” he said. “Not because I care about you in any way, but because I didn’t want to be like you. But you forced my hand.”

As blood oozed from his wound, Snoke grew weaker and weaker, and he eventually collapsed in a heap on the floor. “I hope the _Sea Falcon_ is shipwrecked again, and takes you with her,” Snoke cursed as he gasped for breath, but Poe refused to give him the angry response that he craved. 

“Goodbye, Snoke,” Poe said. “You were a terrible person and a rubbish first mate. I’m very glad I’ll never see you or this bloody island again.”

With that, he turned around and marched towards the exit, as Kaydel and Wedge hauled a remarkably compliant Canady to his feet. 

“You deserve the same fate that Poe does!” Snoke called out to Rey as she followed the rest of her friends out of the cave. She didn’t respond, or even turn around and look at him one last time. He held no power over her anymore. 

Snoke would never leave this island, and hopefully the world would soon forget him.

***

The cut on Ben’s chest stung, but he barely even felt the pain as Rey and Finn helped him stumble back to the beach. 

He still couldn’t believe everything he’d seen inside the cave — from Poe’s magical trickery (thanks to Lady V’s mysterious gifts), to Snoke’s sudden loss of power as the curse had broken. He couldn’t be sure, but even the island seemed a little different now. As they walked through the jungle pathways down to the beach, the foliage appeared a little more vibrant, and the noises of the creatures sounded less shrill. Maybe the island itself was healing now that the curse had been lifted. 

Not that Ben really noticed much of that, however. Because ever since they’d arrived in the cave just in time to stop the ritual, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Rey. She was a force of nature, the most bewitching woman he’d ever met. Even when her life was on the line, she hadn’t allowed an undead pirate captain to intimidate her, and she’d cut her own palm without flinching. 

That fiery determination had clearly gotten under Snoke’s skin. He’d wanted to take Ben’s life just to punish her, and Ben had feared he’d die right there in the cave, before he got a chance to ask Rey the important question he’d been holding in his heart ever since he’d watched her sail away with Snoke. But Poe Dameron had stepped in to save his life once again, and now they were free of Snoke and the cursed treasure forever. 

Every second that Ben looked at Rey felt like sweet torture, because he wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her the depths of how he felt about her. However, he didn’t know when they could steal a moment alone together. Unfortunately, he doubted that would be soon. 

The _HMS Supremacy_ was in a state of what Ben would call “controlled chaos” when they found her on the beach. The cursed pirates had figured out by now that they weren’t immortal anymore, and while some had resisted arrest at first, Hux and his officers had finally finished subduing all of them. 

Originally, Hux had intended to part ways with Poe Dameron at Isla de Muerta, taking Ben, Rey, and Rose back to Port Royal with him on board the _Supremacy_ and allowing Poe and his crew to sail off in the _Sea Falcon_. However, Snoke’s crew had damaged the _Supremacy_ to the point Hux didn’t feel the ship could safely make it back to Port Royal. So, they all agreed to leave the _Supremacy_ at the same island Poe had marooned it on previously and then sail on to Port Royal together in the _Sea Falcon_. The Royal Navy would go back to retrieve the _Supremacy_ later. Technically, they could just leave the _Supremacy_ at Isla de Muerta, but Poe and Hux agreed that it was better if the Royal Navy didn’t know about the location of the cursed treasure. Some things were better left a mystery. 

Walking through the muggy jungle with a wound in his chest had made Ben feel more than a little woozy, and the Royal Navy doctor who’d been travelling with Hux informed him that he needed to go to bed at once, and when Ben tried to resist, he was ordered to take a sleeping draught. 

Rey helped him down the stairs on the _Sea Falcon_ as the ship pulled away from Isla de Muerta, and while Ben was a little sad he wouldn’t be able to get one last glimpse of the island, perhaps it was for the best. Isla de Muerta was a beautiful but dangerous place, and hopefully Poe was right — this was the last time any of them would be visiting here.

Ben sank onto the cot, and Rey pulled a blanket up over him, tucking him in. He tried to start talking to her, to start spilling all the thoughts and emotions he’d kept bottled within him, but his speech was already slurring as the sleeping draught took effect. 

“Sshh, it’s all right,” Rey soothed him. “You’ve had quite an ordeal. I think you should rest, like the doctor said.”

She started to stand up, but Ben caught her by the hand, looking up at her desperately. His eyes were blurry from the sleeping potion and his limbs weren’t quite working right, but he hoped the longing expression on his face communicated what his slurred speech could not. 

_Stay — please._

Rey’s face flushed slightly, but she sat back down, winding her fingers through his. 

“I promise — I’ll wait with you until you fall asleep.” She reached her hand out towards him, hesitated for a moment, and then convinced herself to continue, running her fingers gently through his hair. “Thank you for coming back to save me,” she said softly. “I’m so mad at you for risking your life, but I know I would have done the same thing. I couldn’t have lived with myself if Snoke had done anything to hurt you.”

Despite his general grogginess, Ben felt a warm tingling in his chest at her words. 

_I couldn’t have lived with myself if Snoke had done anything to hurt YOU._ And that was the truth. His uncle Luke might dismiss his feelings for Rey as a “childhood crush,” but what he felt for her ran much deeper than that. She was like the air he needed to breath, the sun that shone to light his way, and he didn’t care if society thought they should stay away from each other based on something as stupid as their different social classes. 

_I love you, Rey._

He couldn’t get the words to come out of his mouth, thanks to the damn numbness of his tongue. But they echoed in his mind over and over and over as the sleeping draught sucked him under and he drifted off to sleep. 

_I love you, Rey, I love you, Rey, I love you…_

***

The plan was for the _Sea Falcon_ to sneak back into Port Royal under the cover of darkness, and offload all the prisoners before anyone in town realized what was happening. 

Hux wanted Poe to actually dock the ship, but Poe declined, arguing that would make it too easy for the Royal Navy to capture his ship. Instead, the _Sea Falcon_ would remain a safe distance out in the harbor, and they could ferry the prisoners to shore using the lifeboats they’d borrowed from the _Supremacy_ (Snoke had gotten rid of the ones that used to be on board the _Sea Falcon_ , which had greatly irritated Poe). 

It was difficult to load and transport the prisoners in the pitch blackness, but Rey couldn’t begrudge Poe’s caution. Even though he’d proved himself to be a hero, she doubted Admiral Brendol Hux would see it that way. Poe Dameron may have saved the life of Brendol’s son AND the governor’s nephew, but the Admiral still wouldn’t hesitate to have Poe hanged. 

Once the prisoners had been deposited on shore and secured so they couldn’t try to run away, Ben, Rey, Rose, and Hux boarded the final lifeboat with Poe Dameron, who would row the boat to shore and then bring it back to the _Sea Falcon_. 

Finn and Rose shared a tearful goodbye, embracing tightly on the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ before Finn helped Rose down into the lifeboat. Rey felt a pang for the two new friends; because of Finn’s life as a pirate, it was quite possible that he and Rose would never see each other again. 

Ben shook Finn’s hand and thanked him, and Rey gave Finn a hug too. Then, the lifeboat was off, sailing towards the shore. It was eerie navigating through the harbor in complete darkness, the world mostly silent around them. Although Poe wasn’t exactly the subtlest of men, he was doing an excellent job rowing silently, the oars barely making a ripple as they dipped into the black water. 

As they pulled up alongside the dock, Hux jumped out of the lifeboat first and then helped everyone else out of the boat. Rey lingered just a second longer, trying to decide what to say to Poe. Their friendship was quite complicated — if it could even be called a friendship — but he’d more than proved himself to be a good man. Rey finally decided that yes, she could indeed call him a friend...even if he sometimes did drive her nearly to madness. 

“Thank you, Captain,” she told him, and in the flickering light cast by a distant lantern, she could see him grinning at her use of the word “captain.”

“Finally, a title of respect,” he teased, and Rey gave him a look. 

“Don’t let it go to your head.”

Poe shrugged, his grin growing even wider (if that was possible). “Who me? Am I not the perfect portrait of humility?”

Rey snorted, and while she did her best to appear exasperated, she felt a little smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Eventually, she stuck out her hand and shook Poe’s hand warmly. “You’re a good man, Poe Dameron. I hope the Royal Navy doesn’t catch you.” She glanced over at Hux, turning a little sheepish. “No offense intended.”

Hux nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face — as much of a smile as a commodore of the British Royal Navy could allow himself under the circumstances. “None taken. I plan to give Poe Dameron and his crew at least a day’s head start. They’ve earned it, after all this—”

“Captain Poe Dameron of the _Sea Falcon_!”

Rey heard a quiet click in the darkness, and whirled around just as a Royal Navy officer (she thought she’d heard him referred to as Lieutenant Peavey during the voyage?) pointed his pistol at Poe Dameron. 

Although no one knew exactly what was happening, Poe’s first instinct was to cry out, “Finn, run!” 

As Poe’s voice carried across the harbor, Rey hoped that Finn would hear it, and that he’d heed the warning. She didn’t want to believe that Hux had ordered his troops to double-cross Poe but that was certainly what it looked like. 

“The Royal Navy demands your immediate surrender, by order of Admiral Brendol Hux!” Peavey continued, and Rey watched as Armitage Hux’s expression turned from a mixture of shock to one of angry concern. Suddenly, the situation made a lot more sense; this betrayal was at the hands of the elder Hux, not his son. 

“Lieutenant Peavey, what the hell is this about?” Armitage Hux asked. “I thought we’d all agreed on the voyage here that we would let Poe and his crew go tonight, in exchange for their help in rescuing Mr. Swann, Miss Tico, and Miss Turner.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Lieutenant Peavey’s tone was unyielding, although Rey noticed a tiny flicker of guilt in his eyes. “But...it just doesn’t sit right with me, letting a pirate go free. While you were consorting with the pirates, I...I sneaked back to the fort and warned the Admiral. He told me to return here and detain Poe, while he gathers reinforcements to attack the other pirates.”

“You can’t do this!” Ben exclaimed, his expression incredulous. “This man saved my life — twice! Just talk to my uncle — he’s the governor of Jamaica. I’m sure he can secure a pardon and—”

“I don’t care.”

The voice behind Rey made her skin crawl — in the same way that Snoke’s voice always had, except it wasn’t the cursed pirate captain this time. It was Admiral Brendol Hux. 

Despite the late hour, the Admiral was impeccably dressed, his uniform crisply pressed and his shoes perfectly polished. It was quite a contrast from the bedraggled, salt-encrusted appearance of Rey and her friends after days at sea. 

“Father.” Armitage Hux immediately stiffened. “What are you doing here?”

“Doing my duty, Commodore,” the Admiral replied coldly, referring to his son by title rather than by name. “Since at the moment you seem to have forgotten yours. Tell me — were you really intending to let this notorious pirate and his crew escape?”

Armitage Hux’s face flushed a brilliant red, though whether it was from anger or embarrassment, Rey couldn’t tell. 

“Father, Poe Dameron may be a pirate, but he is also a hero,” Armitage Hux insisted. “He and his crew risked their lives to save Benjamin Swann, Rey Turner, and Rose Tico from the dreadful pirate James Snoke, who is dead now, also thanks to Poe. It only seemed fair to—”

“It’s not up to you to decide what’s fair,” Brendol snapped. “In the eyes of the crown, piracy is a crime punishable by execution. And that is exactly what Dameron deserves.”

Poe stared back at the admiral without blinking, surprisingly calm despite the way the situation had suddenly turned against him. He’d seen that the _Sea Falcon_ was already fleeing the harbor, and would hopefully soon be beyond the Admiral’s grasp. Rey knew it must have ripped Finn’s heart out to have to leave Poe behind, but she was sure the other crew members of the _Sea Falcon_ had convinced him it was too late to go back and help. Only Rey and her friends could hope to save Poe now. 

“I will vouch for this man,” Rey said, stepping in between the Admiral and Poe. “Let him go. There has to be space within the law for a little compassion!”

Ben nodded. “Please, Admiral. If you’d just listen to—”

“Enough!” the Admiral barked. “Lieutenant Peavey, take this pirate back to the fort. Commodore Hux, you may escort Mr. Swann, Miss Tico, and Miss Turner home immediately. I don’t want them wandering about Port Royal tonight and trying to cause trouble.”

“Yes, Sir,” Armitage Hux replied flatly. The Admiral may not have laid a hand on his son, but Hux had been wounded by his father’s curt dismissal all the same. His normally proud shoulders hunched ever so slightly, and Rey knew he wouldn’t challenge his father further. 

Although Rey didn’t want to accept that they’d been beaten, she realized she didn’t know what else they could do. 

***

For the briefest of moments, Poe considered fighting back and trying to escape. Unfortunately, he’d left his sword back on board the _Sea Falcon_ , and though he hated the idea of just surrendering, he knew he wouldn’t get very far on his own, even if he did manage to break through the circle of Royal Navy officers that currently surrounded him. 

He couldn’t really be mad at Armitage Hux for what had happened, even though he wanted to. The commodore hadn’t actually betrayed him (Poe knew he should have kept a closer eye on that suspicious-looking Lieutenant Peavey). And Rey and Ben had both stood up for him, even though they didn’t really have any power against an admiral of the British Navy. 

“Well, I guess that serves me right for trying to be a hero,” Poe said sardonically as Lieutenant Peavey shackled his wrists. “No good deed goes unpunished, eh?”

Lieutenant Peavey ignored him. 

There was a bitter irony to all this, Poe thought to himself as the officers escorted him to the fort. He’d worked so hard to get his ship back and escape from Port Royal, and now here he was, going back to prison and losing the _Sea Falcon_ all over again. At least Finn had escaped — Poe mostly definitely would have fought back if the Admiral had tried to arrest his first mate. 

And who knew? There was still time for his luck to turn around, although Poe wasn’t counting on it. Lady Luck liked to take as much as she gave. 

She’d certainly taken a lot from him. 

***

Rey spent the night tossing and turning, despite the fact that she was finally back in her own bed in her own loft above Cornelius Plutt’s blacksmith shop. She should have felt comforted to be home again, but she found she was still restless and unsettled.

She hated letting Admiral Brendol Hux win. He pretended to be a man of law and order, but there was a cruel selfishness festering inside him. He might not be an obvious villain, like Snoke was, but he was clearly more interested in promoting his own reputation than doing what was actually “right.”

Although Rey had expected to get a lecture from the Plutts when she finally returned to Port Royal, as it turned out, they were so glad to have her back that they served her dinner in the middle of the night and told her she could have the morning off (although they expected her to be working again by noon). Apparently Cornelius had a terrible time trying to keep the shop running while she was gone, and the Plutts had realized just how much they relied on Rey to make their business a success. 

Rey was still exhausted when the sun came peeking through the window the next morning, but she felt too on edge to keep sleeping. So she got up, got dressed, and decided to do what she was best at: hammering lumps of metal into useful objects. 

As she hit the hammer against her anvil again and again and again, she thought about everything that had happened since she and Cornelius had gone to the governor’s mansion to give Governor Luke Swann that sword for Commodore Hux. It was fair to say that pretty much everything about her world had changed since then, even if on the surface, life appeared very normal here in the blacksmithing shop. 

She’d gone on an incredible adventure, and seen magic with her own eyes. She’d finally admitted her feelings for Benjamin Swann, and Poe, Finn, and the other crew members of the _Sea Falcon_ had challenged her long-held prejudices about pirates. 

She couldn’t just go back to the way things used to be, even if she wanted to. However, she didn’t have any idea of what to do next. Armitage Hux hadn’t given her a chance to talk privately with Ben last night as he escorted them all home, and since Rose was (understandably) spending the day with her family, Rey couldn’t talk to her best friend right now either. 

What the devil was she going to do about Poe Dameron? She knew what her father would say: Poe was a pirate, and he was receiving the judgement he deserved. Rey’s father would tell her that she should be grateful she wasn’t facing judgement herself, for her role in the whole affair. Admiral Brendol Hux seemed content to let her, Rose’s, and Ben’s transgressions slide, as long as he could punish Poe. 

That just didn’t sit right with Rey, and though she had no idea how she was going to help Poe, she knew she had to do something. 

Rey heard a knock on the door, and she opened it to find Cornelius Plutt standing in front of her, awkwardly holding out a letter to her. 

“This just came for you,” he said. He seemed pleased that she was already working, even though he’d technically given her the morning off. Rey hoped he knew she wasn’t doing this for him; she was just in desperate need of a way to burn some nervous energy. 

After waiting until Mr. Plutt had left, Rey took the letter and opened it, her heart fluttering a little as she realized it was from Ben. 

_Can’t write much, my uncle is watching me like a hawk._

Rey could easily imagine Governor Luke Swann hovering over Ben’s shoulder, trying to supervise what he was writing. 

_We just heard the news that Poe Dameron has officially been sentenced to hang tomorrow at dawn. I’m going to try to do everything I can to stop it. Love, Ben._

Rey sank down onto a bench near the door, clutching the letter to her heart. She knew Ben wasn’t allowed to officially correspond with her, but he’d done it anyway. He also wasn’t willing to allow Poe to be condemned without a fight. 

Rey heard a second knock on the door and sighed, wondering what Cornelius Plutt wanted now. Hopefully he hadn’t come up with a longer list of tasks for her, since she’d started working earlier than planned. 

To her shock, however, it wasn’t Cornelius Plutt staring back at her when she opened the door — it was Finn.

“Get in here, quickly!” Rey said, pulling him into the blacksmith’s shop. Although he was wearing a cloak to disguise himself, Rey was still afraid for his safety. “It’s dangerous for you to be spotted in Port Royal right now!” 

“I know.” Finn removed his cloak, and Rey was struck by just how haggard he looked. Poe’s capture had obviously devastated him, and Rey assumed he’d gotten even less sleep than she did. 

“I’m so sorry about Poe,” Rey said. “I could have punched Admiral Brendol Hux right in the face.”

That brought a hint of a smile to Finn’s lips. “Thank you, Rey. I know it’s not your fault, or Ben’s fault, or even Armitage Hux’s fault. I don’t blame any of you, and I know Poe wouldn’t either.”

Rey held out the letter Ben had written her. “Ben’s trying to do everything he can to get Poe pardoned, but I…” Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t stand here and tell Finn what she feared in her heart: that no matter how much Ben begged his uncle, he couldn’t change Poe’s fate. 

“That means a lot of me, and the rest of the _Sea Falcon’s_ crew,” Finn said, gripping her hand. “But I can see in your eyes that you’re doubtful it will work, and I doubt it too. That’s why a group of us are planning to interrupt the execution tomorrow morning and try to save Poe. I know it’s risky, but I’m not going to leave Poe to die.”

Finn was right — yes, it would be risky, and yes, it wasn’t right to just leave Poe to die. 

“I don’t even want to ask you this, but do you mind if some of us hide here in your blacksmith shop overnight?” Finn asked. “I hate putting you in danger—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rey said. “Of course you can hide here. Also, I’m coming with you.”

Finn immediately tried to protest. “No Rey, that’s too dangerous. I can’t ask you, or Rose, to—”

“You don’t have to ask; I’m volunteering of my own free will,” Rey insisted. “I owe Poe a debt for saving my life, and Ben’s. I don’t leave a friend behind.”

Because that’s what Poe and Finn were — her friends. Not pirates. Not enemies.

She felt a slight pang as she imagined the disappointment her father would have felt if he heard her say that. Her mother had broken his heart, and he’d tried to heal that shattered heart by directing his pain into his hatred for pirates. 

Rey loved her father fiercely, and she would never, ever want to hurt him. Yet, he would be wrong to condemn Poe Dameron, and Rey hoped he would have understood what she was about to do. 

Rey wasn’t her father, and she wasn’t her mother, either. She was her own woman, forging her own path. And that meant she was willing to take a risk to do what was right.

Rey grabbed a roll of parchment from her shelf of supplies and rolled it out on the table. 

“Come on, Finn — let’s start sketching out a plan.”


	11. The Coming Storm

Benjamin Swann refused to look at his uncle Luke as they sat across from each other in the carriage on their way to the town square for Poe Dameron’s execution. As governor, Luke’s presence was required at the execution, but the only reason Ben was going was the faint hope he was still clinging to that he could somehow find a way to stop the proceedings. 

As soon as he’d returned home to his uncle’s mansion two nights ago, he’d begged the governor to step in and do something. However, Luke continued to insist that there was nothing that could be done once Poe was formally sentenced. Luke had also basically kept Ben under house arrest the past few days, and he’d barely been able to sneak a letter to Rey. 

Ben stared out the window, the bright, sunny weather making him even more grumpy. It wasn’t right for Poe to die on such a beautiful, seemingly ordinary day. He hated his uncle’s obsession with following rules, and the way he always worried so much about upholding the family name. It prevented him from interfering in a situation where an undeserving man was being condemned to—

“I know you don’t want anything to do with me right now, Ben.”

His uncle’s quiet voice startled Ben from his morose thoughts. This was his uncle’s first time to initiate a conversation between them since their big argument last night, and the unexpectedly mellow tone in his uncle’s voice was enough to turn his attention away from the window. 

Ben was surprised to find how...tired his uncle looked this morning. Sad, even. It was quite a contrast from his stubborn demeanor during their argument last night.

“If it was up to me, I would let Poe go free,” Luke continued, and Ben nearly fell out of his seat. Had he just heard his uncle correctly? Luke hadn’t admitted anything like that last night. 

Luke sighed. “I probably shouldn’t reveal that to you, but...it’s difficult to have you sit there looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”

Ben felt a small stab of guilt, and his expression softened. “Of course you’re not a monster, Uncle. But if you want to pardon Poe, why don’t you?”

Luke hesitated for just a second, and Ben was struck by the sudden fear in his uncle’s eyes. He’d seen his uncle look nervous or concerned plenty of times before. But this was the first time he’d seen pure, unfiltered fear. What in the world did that mean?

“Because it’s not up to me,” Luke confessed, and Ben could tell this was the most vulnerable his uncle had ever allowed himself to be in front of his nephew. It was unnerving. “I know what Poe Dameron did for you, and for Miss Turner and Miss Tico. He saved your lives, and for that he deserves a pardon. When you were kidnapped, Ben, I nearly went mad with worry. Your mother would have never forgiven me if anything terrible had happened to you. I owe Poe Dameron a great debt for this.”

Ben watched his uncle, who had already guessed the unspoken question remaining in Ben’s mind.

“I can’t afford to speak out against Admiral Brendol Hux on this,” Luke said. “He’s convinced Poe Dameron must be punished, and it would be dangerous to oppose him.”

Ben felt an uncomfortable sense of foreboding curling in his stomach. He’d never liked Armitage Hux’s father, and he was not surprised his uncle didn’t like the Admiral either. But it was unsettling to see his uncle look so afraid of the man. 

“But you’re the governor of Jamaica — surely the Admiral can’t do anything to you,” Ben insisted, but Luke was already shaking his head. 

“That may have been true once. But the Admiral has some powerful friends and allies who are very close to the crown. If I fight him on the issue of Poe Dameron, I don’t know how he might retaliate against my family.”

Ben stared at his uncle in disbelief. “What? Has he threatened you directly?” he asked, and he was troubled by the fact his uncle neither confirmed nor denied this. 

“I just know things, Ben. Things I’ve tried to...protect you from, as much as I could. If it comes to it, I may have to send you back to England. It’s possible Port Royal may one day no longer be safe for you.”

Ben felt panic gripping his heart. “I...I can’t leave Port Royal, Uncle. This is my home. I can’t…”

He stopped himself before the words _I can’t leave Rey_ left his mouth, but his uncle knew what he was thinking just the same. 

“I know your feelings for her,” Luke said softly. “And I know you think me harsh for trying to keep you away from her. I was just trying to build the best future for you. But I promise, I won’t force you to marry Angelica Bazine if it will make you unhappy.”

Well, today certainly was a day for surprises from Uncle Luke. 

Ben felt a pang, and he wished that his relationship with his uncle could always be like this: open, honest, vulnerable. He knew he was also to blame for the antagonism that had influenced many of their discussions in the past, and he vowed that he’d tried to do better.

“I’m in love with Rey Turner,” Ben admitted, and Luke nodded. 

“I know. And Admiral Brendol Hux would like to hang her for piracy, so it’s important that she behave very, very carefully from now on. Hopefully capturing Poe will satisfy the Admiral’s quest for vengeance. But a stricter crackdown on pirates IS coming. Soon Port Royal may not be safe for Miss Turner either.”

Ben spent the rest of the carriage ride in silence, his previous anger towards his uncle replaced by something worse: dread for the future. He thought they’d all be safe once they got back to Port Royal, and defeated Captain James Snoke. But maybe Snoke had been right when he’d warned Poe that a storm was brewing. 

He’d never thought of Hux’s father as a threat before...but maybe that was about to change. 

***

Rey had tried her best to talk Rose Tico out of helping with Poe Dameron’s rescue. 

Rey had argued that it was too risky, and that Rose needed to stay home safe with her family. Obviously, Rose didn’t want to cause her family anymore heartache. They’d literally wept with relief when she’d returned to Port Royal, hugging her for nearly an hour without letting go. 

But Rose wasn’t about to let Poe Dameron die after all he’d done to help her friends. Losing Poe would devastate Finn, and she couldn’t bear to leave him with that kind of pain. She told Rey she refused to go home until she was given a part to play in the plan, and that was that. 

Rose was currently pushing her way through the crowd that had gathered to watch this morning’s execution, trying hard not to show her disdain for the spectacle. She hated that so many people were so eager to watch a man die, as if this was some form of entertainment instead of the ending of a human life. They all assumed Poe was a good-for-nothing pirate; she wished they knew the truth about who he really was, and how the governor’s nephew wouldn’t be alive today if Poe hadn’t risked his own life to save him. 

Rose adjusted the brim of her hat to keep out the glare of the sun. She was wearing her best dress, a gift for her birthday the previous year. It was light pink with a pattern of tiny flowers across the fabric. She looked just like an ordinary member of the crowd. No one would guess that a young lady like herself was actually one of the lookouts for a band of pirates attempting to rescue their captain. 

Rose knew that Rey, Finn, Kaydel, and Wedge were also scattered throughout the crowd, waiting for the right moment to act. Her job was to scream and cause a distraction if there was any hint that Admiral Brendol Hux suspected what was afoot. Hopefully, the Admiral would be too caught up in his hypocritical self-righteousness today to suspect anything. 

The Admiral was currently standing on a balcony overlooking the plaza, flanked by his son, Commodore Armitage Hux. Governor Luke Swann and his nephew Ben stood next to them. The Admiral had a vexing, self-satisfied look on his face, while Armitage, Luke, and Ben had sullen expressions ranging from concerned to despondent. 

Rose realized it was probably risky for her to be lingering too near the balcony, but as she turned to go, she couldn’t resist allowing her eyes to linger on the commodore just one second longer. He looked so handsome today with his formal uniform and perfectly combed red hair. She’d been given few chances to interact with him on board the _Sea Falcon_ during their voyage back to Port Royal, but her feelings for him hadn’t changed. She still loved him, even if he didn’t know or care who she—

Rose had allowed herself to get caught up in her feelings, and she’d tarried too long. Armitage Hux’s gaze settled on her, and their eyes locked. For a second, Rose was powerless to move, held captive by his vivid green eyes. 

“Miss Tico.” The way he said her name — with surprise and the smallest hint of longing — nearly broke her. 

“Commodore.” She curtsied, her heart hammering in her chest. She shouldn’t be standing here staring, and she certainly shouldn’t be interacting with him this much. Not when Poe Dameron could be hauled out at any moment, and then it would be time to put their plan into action.

Armitage Hux had to know why she was here. He had to expect that Rey and Finn were planning some kind of escape attempt. It would be so easy for him to lean over to his father and warn him. Spoiling an escape attempt would surely win him genuine praise from his father — something she knew Hux desperately wanted. 

But instead, Hux said nothing, standing at attention while not taking his gaze from Rose. 

She could tell that Hux was resolved not to interfere, and she felt a swelling of relief and hope within her chest. She mouthed the words _Thank you_ before finally tearing her gaze away from him. 

Hux might not have the power to influence his father to stop the execution, but he would not attempt to stop their escape attempt. And even beyond that, Rose had seen something new flickering in his eyes. He’d noticed her — really, truly noticed her — and something unspoken had passed between them. He didn’t look at her as openly as Ben pined after Rey, but he wasn’t indifferent to her. Of that she was now certain. 

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm her wildly pounding heart, Rose forced her way back through the crowd, before the Admiral could spot her. She heard the crowd start jeering, and she knew Poe was being marched to the gallows. 

It was time. 

***

Ben felt sick to his stomach as he watched the soldiers lead Poe Dameron to the platform in the center of the town square. Poe was being his typical, belligerent self, throwing verbal barbs at the soldiers escorting him and making sarcastic jokes. But deep inside, he knew Poe had to be afraid — who wouldn’t be?

Ben sensed his uncle’s hand on his shoulder, bracing him for what was about to come, but he couldn’t accept it. It couldn’t end like this — it just couldn’t.

Ben felt a slight tugging on his sleeve and looked down to find a small child with a dirty face and dirty hands looking up at him. 

“She paid me to give you this,” the little boy said, handing Ben a small sheet of paper and then scurrying away before Ben could ask him who this mysterious “she” was who’d tasked him with delivering this letter. 

Ben was reluctant to take his eyes off the platform, for fear he’d miss some opportunity to help, but receiving a note at this moment in time seemed like too much of a coincidence to ignore. 

He opened the letter and his heart felt like it had stopped — it was from Rey. 

_Dear Ben, I’m about to do something very dangerous, but I believe it’s a necessary risk. In case things go wrong, I just wanted to tell you that I love you. For a while I was afraid to admit that to you, and even to myself. But I love you — I’ve always loved you, with my whole entire heart. If I die today, I need you to know that._

“Rey?” Ben’s eyes frantically darted around the town square, desperately searching for any sign of her. 

_I love you — I’ve always loved you, with my whole entire heart._

She had to be here somewhere — she’d come up with some crazy scheme to save Poe, and he wanted to help her but had no idea what she’d planned. 

“I’ve got to go,” he blurted out to his uncle Luke, and though the governor stared at him in surprise and tried to object, Ben was gone before he could be stopped. 

He shoved people aside as he ran through the crowd, the townsfolk surrounding him shooting him dirty looks. They were trying to listen as the executioner read Poe’s formal charges. 

_I love you — I’ve always loved you, with my whole entire heart._

Rey loved him — she really, truly loved him, and he wasn’t about to let her — or any of their other friends — die today. 

The executioner placed the noose around Poe’s neck, as Poe made some snarky comment. Ben heard a bird squawking on the other side of the square, and then saw a flutter of blue and yellow feathers as a parrot swooped in low over the crowd. 

Was that...Snap’s pet parrot? 

The executioner tightened Poe’s noose, and then reached for the lever that would release the trap door beneath Poe’s feet. 

Somewhere in the crowd, a woman shouted, “Everybody move!” With screams of surprise, the crowd scurried out of the way and Ben saw Rey step out and fling her sword towards the gallows. 

***

Rey had no idea what the consequences would be or if this plan would even work, but she felt strangely at peace. She was doing what she knew to be right, and no matter what happened, she could take comfort in the fact that she’d done all she could. 

Rey and her friends had developed several contingency plans, based on what happened today and who could get closest to the gallows. When Wedge had released Snap’s parrot into the air, that was the signal that Rey had been chosen to take the lead. 

As soon as the crowd parted, she flung her sword as hard as she could, knowing her aim would be the difference between life and death for Poe. 

The sword wedged into the wood beneath the trap door right as the executioner pulled the lever, and instead of hanging, Poe was able to balance his feet precariously on the sword. Rey wanted to whoop in relief, but she knew there was no time. 

Finn, Wedge, and Kaydel were already charging towards the platform. In the chaos, Finn was able to cut the noose and untie Poe’s hands, and together they started running towards the harbor. They’d agreed ahead of time to split up once Poe was freed, to cause confusion for the soldiers who’d inevitably pursue them. Wedge and Kaydel broke off to follow Rose to the harbor (she would hide them at her family’s shop if needed), and Rey went with Finn and Poe, running as fast as they could towards the harbor where the _Sea Falcon_ was waiting. 

“I don’t know how the hell you did what you just did, but you just saved my life, so thank you,” Poe said, a bit breathless as they ran. He rubbed his neck, where the noose had chafed the skin. 

“You can thank us once we actually get to the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Finn replied, but Rey could see that some of the gloom in the first mate’s eyes had already lifted. At least for the moment, they’d saved Poe from death, and that was enough. Now they could focus on escaping together. 

Rey knew there was no life for her in Port Royal anymore, after she’d been publicly spotted rescuing a convicted pirate. Although she should probably board the _Sea Falcon_ with Poe and Finn and run far, far away, there was something important holding her here: Benjamin Swann. If she survived today, she promised herself she’d find a way for them to be together. Because everything she’d experienced on this strange, dangerous adventure had taught her that she just couldn’t live without him. 

Once they reached the harbor, they practically flew down the dock, headed for the lifeboat that Rey and Finn had tied up earlier that day. Freedom was so, so close for Poe and Finn, and for a moment, Rey allowed herself to believe that they’d actually get away with this. 

Unfortunately, Admiral Brendol Hux was no fool, and while their plan may have caught him off guard, it hadn’t stopped him. Before Rey, Finn, and Poe could reach the lifeboat, they were surrounded by a cluster of musket-bearing soldiers from the Royal Navy.

“Stand down!” Lieutenant Peavey barked, and Rey, Finn, and Poe slowly raised their hands above their heads. What else could they do? 

Admiral Brendol Hux pushed through the line of soldiers, his face red with fury. He had his pistol out, and Rey was terrified that he might shoot Poe right then and there. Yet before he could act, everyone was distracted by a man running down the dock, waving his arms in the air and yelling at the soldiers to halt. 

“Wait!” Benjamin Swann cried at the top of his lungs. His hair was wild and wind-blown, and his clothes were completely disheveled. He had run all the way from the town square, and Rey realized she had never loved him more than she did at this very moment. 

“Mr. Swann, what right do you have to interfere in Royal Navy business?” the Admiral asked sharply, and Rey was shocked to hear not Ben reply, but Governor Luke Swann.

“As the governor of Jamaica, I feel this is very much my business.”

Apparently, Luke had run just as fast as his nephew, arriving seconds after Ben. That would have been a sight to see: the governor of Jamaica running through the streets of Port Royal, not caring who saw him or what they thought.

“Governor.” The Admiral gave Luke a curt nod. Although Brendol Hux’s face remained neutral, Rey could see the look of surprise in his eyes. “I apologize for the commotion. I intend to transport Mr. Dameron back to the gallows as soon as possible. And it looks like the pirate’s first mate and Miss Turner are eager to join him.”

“You will NOT lay a hand on Miss Turner,” Luke commanded, with a voice that was harder and colder than Rey had ever heard him use before. “And I do not see a need for the pirate captain or his first mate to die today either.”

The Admiral actually blinked. He quite obviously could not believe the governor was speaking to him so boldly, and Ben gaped at his uncle, his expression a mixture of both shock and pride. 

“Governor, you saw as well as I that this young woman just attempted to help a convicted pirate escape,” the Admiral lectured. “We also know she has helped steal a ship, the _HMS Supremacy_ , from this very harbor. She is, as they say, a ‘rotten apple,’ and she will poison your nephew’s reputation if you allow them to continue their acquaintance. She has already so seduced him that he’s gone mad and is convinced she’s an innocent victim.”

“I haven’t gone mad,” Ben shot back. He’d maneuvered his way into the circle of soldiers surrounding Rey, Finn, and Poe, and was currently standing right beside Rey. “I’m in love with Rey Turner — I always have been, and I always will be. And if you’re going to try to take her, or Poe, or Finn to the gallows, then you’ll have to go through me first.”

“Lower your weapons immediately!” the governor shouted at the soldiers, and for a second, they all hesitated, looking back and forth between Luke and the Admiral. They were clearly afraid of what the Admiral would do, but they were also afraid to disrespect the king’s appointed governor. Finally, they lowered their guns and stepped back, and Rey drew in a deep, ragged breath, the tension that had been building within her finally releasing. She was pretty sure the Admiral would have hung her, Poe, and Finn if the governor hadn’t intervened. 

“Are you actually saying that as a representative of the crown, you are pardoning these pirates?” the Admiral asked incredulously, and Luke met his gaze without flinching. 

“For their role in saving the life of my nephew?” Luke asked. “Yes, I am.” He glanced over at Poe and Finn, who like Rey were still reeling from their narrow escape from death. 

“Poe and Finn, I owe you a debt for saving my nephew’s life,” Luke said. “I want you to board that lifeboat right now, return to the _Sea Falcon_ , and never set foot in Port Royal again. I now consider my debt to you to be paid.”

“Yes, Sir.” Poe wasn’t about to argue with that (Rey doubted he would have ever wanted to return to Port Royal again anyway). He helped Finn into the lifeboat and then jumped down himself, hesitating for just a second as he looked up at Rey. Luke hadn’t specified what her fate would be yet, and Rey appreciated that Poe wasn’t just leaving without her. However, she couldn’t go with him. 

“My place is here,” Rey said. “With Benjamin Swann.”

She turned towards Ben, looking up into his deep brown eyes. She brushed a strand of hair from his face, her fingers trembling. Though she might be afraid, she did not doubt her own convictions. 

“I love you, Benjamin Swann. And come what may, I will not leave your side.” 

She didn’t care that they had an audience, and that the Admiral and his soldiers were probably staring at her. All that mattered was the way that Ben was looking at her right now: like she was the most wondrous thing he’d ever seen. 

“Rey, will you marry me?” he asked breathlessly, and Rey felt the most wonderful thrill rush through her. She didn’t even have to think about what her answer would be. 

“Yes, Ben — I will.”

“See there?” Luke remarked to the Admiral. “It appears that this young woman is about to be a member of the Swann family, and that places her permanently under my protection. I believe that you can now disperse your men.”

Rey decided that maybe she had been too quick to judge the governor in the past. She knew that deep down, he had to be disappointed with Ben’s choice — he’d wanted his nephew to marry an heiress with money and a title. Yet when he’d realized his nephew wouldn’t be happy, he’d stepped aside, allowing Ben to choose his own path. Luke was even risking his own reputation to protect Rey, because he knew how much it meant to his nephew. 

The Admiral laughed, a dry, uncomfortable sound that reminded her of rocks scraping together. “Well played, governor. I must admit, you’ve won this round. Congratulations. I hope that what you’ve achieved today is worth the price you know you’ll eventually have to pay.”

With that, the Admiral turned his back to them, leaving his soldiers to hastily reform their line and march behind him. As soon as the Admiral was gone, Ben threw his arms around his uncle in a giant hug. Luke almost stumbled backwards, apparently not expecting his nephew’s sudden expression of gratitude. It had probably been a long while since they’d last hugged, and although it was a bit awkward, unlike the Admiral’s interactions with his son the gesture was sincere.

“I don’t even know what to say, Uncle,” Ben said, finally stepping back. “Thank you — thank you for risking your career like that. You saved Rey’s life.”

Luke smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in it. “No, I think I should be thanking you, Ben. You reminded me that doing the right thing sometimes requires one to step beyond the bounds of what society deems is proper or even lawful. It was right to let Poe Dameron go, and it was right to pardon Miss Turner. I’m sorry it took me so long to see that.”

“Thank you, Governor,” Rey said, echoing Ben’s sentiments. She looked out across the harbor and saw that Poe and Finn were just now reaching the _Sea Falcon_ in their lifeboat. She wished she’d gotten time to say a better goodbye, but she knew the two pirates probably didn’t want to press their luck. It was best for them to get away from Port Royal — and Admiral Brendol Hux — as soon as possible.

Luke cleared his throat. “Well, I believe I have some other matters of business to attend to today now that the excitement’s over. I trust you’ll be along home soon, Ben?”

Ben’s face split into a grin. “Of course, Uncle — but don’t expect me back _too_ soon.”

Luke looked at him disapprovingly. “I know what I said earlier, but don’t go pushing the bounds of propriety too much. One scandal today is quite enough.”

“Oh, I don’t plan to get into any trouble at all,” Ben said, his grin turning positively wicked. 

Luke gave a long-suffering sigh and shook his head. “Well, as I always tell your mother, I do try my best.” He pretended to cough into his hand, but Rey could tell he was actually trying to hide a chuckle. Yes, she could definitely tell that Governor Luke Swann wasn’t as humorless as she’d once thought. 

As his uncle walked away, Ben looked back down at Rey, and she smiled up at him. 

“Well Miss Turner, I’d say we’ve had quite an adventure,” he said. “Sailing with pirates, fighting the undead, and breaking a curse! I never guessed that’s what would finally bring us together, but I’m not complaining. What do you say to a happily ever after?”

In the back of Rey’s mind, she was still haunted by Admiral Brendol Hux’s threat that there would be consequences for their actions today. She also couldn’t forget Snoke’s warning that there were other dangers lurking on the horizon. However, Rey didn’t want to think about any of that today. Instead, she focused only on the way it felt to exist in this very moment: the beating of her heart, the flutter of nervous excitement in her stomach, and all the other ways her body responded to standing so close to Ben now that they both knew exactly how they felt about each other. She would worry about the Admiral’s words tomorrow; right now, all she wanted was Benjamin Swann. 

“Are you sure you want a happily ever after with a shameless pirate?” Rey asked roguishly, tipping her feathered hat at him. “Because to the Admiral, that’s definitely what I am.”

“Not just any pirate — the most breathtakingly beautiful pirate I’ve ever seen,” Ben said. Then he swept her hat off her head, bent her back, and kissed her. 

In that moment, Rey cared not one bit who might see them (poor Governor Swann would likely be horrified if he saw them kissing so brazenly on the dock). Rey wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck, and he kissed her harder and faster, till she felt as though she might literally combust.

If this was what it felt like to live “happily ever after,” well, she definitely wanted more of it.

***

_~ Interlude ~_

Captain James Snoke crawled towards the altar on Isla de Muerta, using his last little spark of strength to haul himself upwards and grab a coin from the chest. 

He’d thought there was a chance that taking a coin would reactivate the curse, and save him from the mortal wound Poe Dameron had dealt him. Snoke didn’t necessarily need to live forever; he just wanted to live long enough to ensure that Poe Dameron would die with him, in as painful a way as possible. 

However, Mother Talzin’s cursed chest of coins was a complex, perplexing bit of magic, and apparently once Snoke had gotten himself cured of the curse, he couldn’t be made immortal again. He felt absolutely nothing as his fingers curled around the silver coin, and he collapsed back onto the floor of the cavern. 

_Damn that Poe Dameron...damn him to hell,_ Snoke thought bitterly. He’d dreamed for so long of what it would be like to be free of the curse, but he hadn’t expected it to end like this. He was finally, truly alive...which meant he was no longer protected from dying. What a blasted, terrible stroke of irony. 

He hated Canady for surrendering like a coward, and he hated the thought of Poe sailing away in the _Sea Falcon_ once again. He hated that spoiled governor’s nephew, Benjamin Swann, for telling a stupid, thoughtless lie that had started him down this doomed path, and most of all he hated Rey Turner, who was too smart for her own good and ultimately used the thing he needed most — her mother’s blood — against him. 

“I curse all of you,” Snoke muttered with his final breaths, and even in his mind’s addled state, he was startled by the sudden rumbling of the ground beneath him, as if the cave itself was responding to his wrath. 

_What is this?_ Snoke wondered as the earthquake grew in intensity, rattling the chest of coins on the altar and eventually knocking it off, breaking the chest and scattering the coins across the ground. A hazy green mist slowly curled around the altar, like ghostly fingers grasping at an object, and Snoke’s dying eyes were fascinated by the strange magic activating in front of him. 

He’d always known that Mother Talzin had hidden more secrets on Isla de Muerta besides just the cursed treasure, and though he didn’t fully understand what was happening right now, he knew that something was awakening. 

He heard a deafening crack, and saw the altar split in two right in front of him. He did not live to see what emerged from that cracked altar, but he was oddly at peace. 

Because he knew that something terrible was coming, and that whatever was about to be unleashed upon the world, Poe Dameron, Rey Turner, and their wretched friends would have to deal with it. 

It was time for their reckoning, and Snoke hoped it would be as terrifying and overwhelming as the very worst of their nightmares.

It was time for their world to burn.


	12. A Marriage Interrupted

**Part II**   
**I Hold Your Heart in My Hands**

_Six months later..._

Benjamin Swann sat in the courtyard behind his uncle’s mansion, staring numbly at the empty tables and chairs spread out before him. He could hear the sound of tinkling as heavy raindrops hit the china plates and teacups that had been placed so carefully on the elegantly decorated tables, in preparation for a luncheon that had never been served. The pink and white flowers in the silver vases were starting to wilt, damaged by the relentless rain, and the ivory tablecloths were soaked and now more than likely ruined beyond repair.

Today was supposed to be Benjamin Swann’s wedding day — the very best day of his life. But for reasons he was still trying to understand, everything had fallen apart, his dreams shattering like that teacup the wind had blown off the table earlier and knocked to the ground, shattering the delicate china on the cobblestones.

Ben had woken before dawn to start getting ready. His uncle had ordered him a new suit from the tailor’s shop — it was the same color of dark gray as the clouds during a tropical storm, because Rey had once told him how fascinated she was by watching thunderstorms roll over the island. 

His stomach had been churning with nervous excitement, but his uncle had made him eat a small plate of fruit and cheese, warning him he might pass out during his own wedding if he didn’t have at least a little sustenance. 

Ben knew that if his uncle Luke had gotten his way, this afternoon Ben would have been marrying wealthy heiress Angelica Bazine. But Luke had since made his peace with Ben’s feelings for blacksmith Rey Turner, and when he’d squeezed Ben’s shoulder this morning and wished him well, Ben could tell that he meant it.

Ben wished his mother could have been here today to watch him get married, but she wasn’t able to make the long journey from London. Instead, she had written him a letter that she’d instructed him to open after the wedding and then read it with his new wife, and he currently had the letter carefully tucked into a pocket inside his coat. Having it there, nestled safely next to his heart, made his mother feel a little less far away. 

Guests had started arriving mid-morning, and the musicians his uncle had hired played lively tunes to entertain the crowd while they waited for the bride to arrive. When it came time for the wedding to start and Rey wasn’t there, Ben only felt a small pang of worry; surely there was a simple explanation, and there would only be a slight delay before the ceremony could begin. 

However, as the minutes wore on and Rey still hadn’t appeared, the guests grew restless and started murmuring amongst themselves. Even Rose seemed to have no idea where her best friend Rey was at; she checked at Cornelius Plutt’s blacksmith shop, but the bride-to-be was nowhere to be found. 

Luke eventually had to dismiss the guests, informing them rather awkwardly that the wedding would have to be postponed to an undetermined time. The air was already humming with gossip, and Ben knew the story of his cancelled wedding would soon spread throughout Port Royal, accompanied by a thousand different theories about what had really happened. 

Ben knew that most people probably assumed Rey was having second thoughts about getting married. People had treated her differently ever since she’d rescued Poe from the gallows, and they whispered behind her back, calling her a dangerous pirate who would be the ruin of the governor’s nephew. They thought she’d decided to run away, not caring if she broke Ben’s heart. 

However, that wasn’t what was currently worrying Ben. He trusted Rey, and he knew she wouldn’t just walk out on him. Something else must have happened to prevent her from coming here today. And he wouldn’t be at all surprised if Admiral Brendol Hux had something to do with that. 

The Admiral had promised he’d get his revenge against the Swann family and Rey Turner someday, and Luke had been waiting since Poe’s escape for the Admiral to make a move. When six months passed and the Admiral had still done nothing, Ben had foolishly allowed himself to believe that maybe the Admiral had let it go. 

Yet he should have recognized that Admiral Brendol Hux was the type to hold onto a grudge until it was pried from his cold, dead hands. Ben didn’t know exactly how the Admiral was involved in today’s events, but he had the haunting sense that this might be just the beginning of whatever the man had planned. 

Rose had been the last to leave the party this afternoon, wanting to stay and comfort Ben as long as she could. They’d eventually agreed to split up; Ben would wait here in the courtyard in case Rey finally appeared and was looking for him, while Rose was currently wandering all over Port Royal, trying to find any sign of her friend. 

Ben laid his head in his hands, the rain dripping down his hair and splattering on his newly polished shoes. By now his new suit was probably just as ruined as the tablecloths were, but he didn’t care. So what if the party was ruined; all he wanted — all he needed — was to know that Rey was safe.

“Ben, maybe it’s time for you to come inside.”

He heard his uncle’s voice behind him, but he didn’t look up, not wanting the governor to see the despair etched onto his face. Ben felt a hand on his shoulder, and he fought back the tears that were welling up inside him like the incoming tide — inevitable and unstoppable. 

“Where is she?” Ben asked, though the question wasn’t really directed at his uncle. Luke didn’t have anymore information than he did. 

“We’ll find her,” Luke promised. “I’m sure she’s all right, and that there’s some perfectly logical, innocent explanation for all this.”

Ben was grateful for his uncle’s compassion; Luke could have easily made some comment about how the wedding might have gone more smoothly if Ben had just agreed to marry Angelica Bazine instead, as Luke had wanted. However, his uncle wasn’t cruel like that; he could tell Ben was in pain, and he was trying to offer what comfort he could.

In the distance, Ben could hear the rattling of carriage wheels on the path leading up to the mansion, and he was afraid to allow himself to hope that whoever was coming was bringing news of Rey. Or even better, maybe it was Rey herself. If she’d come to tell him that she wasn’t ready to get married after all, he could accept it. He just needed to know that she wasn’t in danger. 

The carriage stopped in front of the governor’s mansion, and as the door opened, Ben felt the vice-like grip of fear and expectation around his heart. He was so tense that he was holding his breath without even realizing it, and all the air rushed out of his lungs as he saw Rey step out of the carriage — the sight of her like a blow to his stomach. 

She was absolutely beautiful, dressed in the gown she was supposed to wear to their wedding. The light pink brocade fabric was embroidered with a fancy gold floral pattern, and the dress hugged every curve and framed her shoulders with a square neckline. Her long brown curls bounced on her shoulders, and delicate pearl earrings hung from her ears. She looked like royalty, and if he’d seen her like this in better circumstances, her appearance would have stunned him into starry-eyed speechlessness.

However, the elegance of her clothing was in sharp contrast to her face, which was red and puffy from crying. He could see stormclouds brewing in both those brown-green eyes, anger undercutting whatever grief had driven her to tears. 

And that’s when he noticed an accessory that had escaped his notice when she’d first stepped out of the carriage: a pair of shackles on her wrists. 

“Rey, what’s—”

Before Ben could finish his question, or even start running towards her, Rey was followed out of the carriage by the very last person Ben had wanted to see on his wedding day. 

“Good afternoon,” Admiral Brendol Hux said with a flat smile, tipping his hat to Ben and Luke and pretending as though there was nothing amiss. He looked around at the decorated tables filling the lawn, a smirk on his face. “I apologize if I’m interrupting something.”

“You know damn well what you’re interrupting,” Ben said, fury sparking inside him. “What have you done to Rey?”

“Ben, I’m so sorry,” Rey burst out, taking a step towards him before the Admiral grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. “I was getting ready for the wedding, and then the Admiral showed up at the Plutts’ house to arrest me. Believe me, I tried everything I could to escape, or get word to you, or—”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Ben assured Rey. The desperation and guilt in her eyes made him feel like his heart was crumbling inside him. He was ashamed of himself for considering, even if it was just for a second, that maybe she’d gotten cold feet about the wedding. 

“You must unhand Miss Turner at once,” Luke told the Admiral, squaring his shoulders and using his best “governor” voice. “You know that I pardoned her. I can think of no good reason for you to have arrested this young woman on her wedding day.”

“I know you pardoned her,” the Admiral said smoothly. “But I appealed that pardon and have new orders from someone who’s just enough of a higher rank than you to overturn your sentimental and ill-advised decision.”

“What? Who did you appeal to?” Luke asked incredulously. He’d never had his authority as governor challenged in this way before, and it clearly unsettled him. “You didn’t take this to the king...did you?” 

The Admiral’s only answer was a cryptic smile. “It pays to have people who owe you political favors.”

“If you want to get revenge on me, there must be another way,” Luke said, trying to change tactics. “Leave this young woman out of it. She was supposed to marry my nephew today — have you no heart at all?”

“This is a matter of justice — not the heart,” the Admiral said. “Rey committed an act of piracy, and she deserves to pay the price. I’m not sentimental when it comes to dispensing justice — just ask my son. He had a chance to capture notorious pirate Poe Dameron not one week ago, and he decided to let him go instead. So I informed Commodore Hux he was relieved from duty and was to be dishonorably discharged from the Royal Navy.”

Ben stared at the Admiral in horror as Brendol Hux dealt him this new blow. Ben had been disappointed when Armitage Hux had said he couldn’t attend Ben’s wedding today, due to being sent on an assignment by his father. Still, Ben had understood. The Admiral wasn’t a man who could be easily defied, and Armitage Hux had promised to visit Rey and Ben as soon as he got back to Port Royal. 

However, Armitage Hux must have made the decision to disregard his father’s orders and at the last minute show compassion to Poe instead. And the Admiral had made him pay for it — dearly.

“If there is a bail for Rey, please let me pay it,” Luke said. “Allow her to stay in my mansion, under my care, while she awaits a fair trial.”

“So kind of you, Governor,” the Admiral said in a tone that was formal enough to almost hide the undercurrent of mockery that conveyed his true thoughts. “But Rey will be perfectly comfortable in her overnight accommodations in the jail. That’s actually where we’re on our way to right now. I wasn’t obligated to stop by here and inform the two of you first, but I thought I’d do it anyway, as a courtesy.”

“You bastard!” Ben lunged towards the Admiral, but his uncle grabbed him and held him back. 

“Do NOT make a move against the Admiral here,” Luke hissed, low enough so that just Ben could hear. “He’s only trying to provoke a response so he can arrest us too. Let him go, and we’ll find a way to get Rey out of prison — I promise.”

Although Ben believed his uncle, it was still hard to control the urge to run up to the Admiral and punch him in the face. 

“At least your uncle can still bring you to heel,” the Admiral remarked, as he pulled Rey towards the carriage and prepared to go. “Ben, I hope one day you’ll realize that I’m actually doing you a favor by saving you from this doomed marriage. You don’t want to tie your future to a worthless pirate wench who will only drag you down to the depths with her. If I were you, I’d go back to England and forget this ever happened.”

“Never,” Ben replied, looking Rey directly in the eyes as he said it. He needed her to hear this promise even more than the Admiral. “I love you, Rey, and I’ll find a way to help you. I won’t give up. I won’t let you—”

The Admiral pushed Rey inside the carriage and then slammed the door, yelling at the coachman to start driving. Rey had barely enough time to yell back, “I love you, Ben!” before she was drowned out by the clattering wheels of the carriage.

Ben stared after the carriage until it finally faded from view, and even then he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from the horizon. If the spectre of Mother Talzin had appeared to him right then and asked for his soul in exchange for letting Rey go free, he would have agreed to it. He loved Rey so much it hurt, and watching the Admiral take her away felt like someone had carved his heart right out of his chest. 

“I’ll save you, Rey,” he vowed, even though she was no longer there to hear him. He’d also find out what really happened to Armitage Hux, and make that right as well. 

He had to.

***

Rey had cried during the entire carriage ride from the Plutts’ house to the governor’s mansion. Yet all those tears had eventually burned the sorrow away, leaving behind nothing but raw, unfiltered anger.

Rey had woken up this morning so excited for her wedding day. She’d slipped into the heavy gown, and when she’d looked into the small, dingy mirror the Plutts kept in their house, she’d felt like a queen. 

The Plutts were ecstatic their apprentice was marrying a man as prestigious as the governor’s nephew, but Ben’s title had never mattered to Rey. She just loved _him_ , and after their misadventures with Poe Dameron had unexpectedly brought them together, she’d believed that maybe they really could live happily ever after. 

But the Admiral apparently had other plans for them. He’d never forgiven Rey — or the Swanns — for humiliating him the day of Poe’s execution, and now he had found a way to revoke Rey’s pardon and start getting his revenge. 

The prison guards gawked at her as the Admiral dragged her to her cell (they clearly hadn’t ever watched a woman in a wedding dress being taken to jail before). Rey made sure the process was as challenging for the Admiral as possible, kicking him in the shins repeatedly with the heel of her shoe. She felt an unapologetic sense of satisfaction when he winced and swore every time her shoe made contact.

After the Admiral left her, Rey sat in silence in her cell, watching the sunset through the sliver of a window that had been carved into the stone wall of the prison. Part of her wanted to just give up and fall asleep; maybe then she could wake up and discover this was just a dream. But sleep continued to elude her, and not just because of the uncomfortable accommodations in the cell. This was supposed to be her and Ben’s first night together, and the desperate want burning inside her made her restless and unhappy. Was this what it had felt like for the pirates who had stolen the cursed treasure from Isla de Muerta? To want something — someone — so desperately, only to have it remain impossibly, frustratingly out of reach? 

She didn’t doubt that Ben would do everything he could to get her out of prison. But there was no guarantee he would be successful. Although she didn’t want to admit it, her experience with the Admiral had shaken her. She wouldn’t have guessed that he could wield more power than the governor, but even Luke seemed to be afraid of him these days. 

Rey stared up at the window until the sky deepened into night and the first few stars started twinkling in the sky. Even though she’d broken the curse on Isla de Muerta, maybe she’d condemned herself to something worse. 

_Almost a bride...but always a pirate._

***

Poe Dameron leaned against the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ , peering out into the foggy darkness surrounding the ship and watching the dancing shadows cast by the lanterns swaying with the motion of the ship. 

Poe didn’t want to be overconfident, but he had to admit — life finally seemed to be looking up for him. He’d escaped from the gallows, thanks to some help from friends both old and new, and at last he had his ship back. With the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ beneath his feet, everything seemed right with the world. 

He’d heard that Rey and Ben were getting married today, and he thought, _Good for them_. He wasn’t ready to commit himself like that, but he’d seen how hopelessly in love those two ridiculous people were, and he hoped they’d be happy. He’d briefly considered popping up at the ceremony to surprise them and say hello but quickly decided against it. Although the governor may have pardoned him, he didn’t want to give Luke Swann a chance to reconsider his clemency. 

“Are you going to stand there all night, nursing that bottle of rum?” Finn teased, the first mate walking up behind Poe in the darkness. 

Poe grinned and clapped Finn on the back. “Well, this bottle of rum is sadly almost gone. Fetch me another?”

Finn rolled his eyes. “You can get your own — Captain.”

Poe laughed as Finn disappeared back into the fog, the first mate sighing as he headed belowdecks. Poe knew Finn was a little concerned about traveling through the dense fog, but Wedge was taking it nice and slow and Poe wasn’t worried. He didn’t really have anything to worry about these days, actually. It was a nice feeling. He was confident the Admiral would never catch him, and Snoke was gone for good. There were no ghosts from his past left to haunt him. At least, none except for—

A cool gust of wind wrapped around Poe, a caress of air that chilled him and sent goosebumps crawling up his arms. He felt a sudden flash of pain on his palm and cursed, flexing his fingers and trying to ease the sharp, stabbing sensation. 

Maybe Poe _had_ cursed himself by proclaiming that he was free from danger. He’d allowed himself to forget about the one outstanding debt he had yet to pay, and because he hadn’t seen her in so long, he’d started to believe that maybe she’d just let him go. As a favor to the charming young man who amused her. 

_That’s not the way it works, mi amor,_ a voice in his head taunted him, and Poe felt a stab of panic. The pulsing pain in his hand had died down, but something still felt...off. He slowly turned his hand over and opened his fist, and then lurched in horror as he saw the black spot on his skin. 

There was an old tradition amongst pirates, that if you were handed a piece of paper with a black spot on it, that meant your judgement was coming soon. Except this spot wasn’t on a piece of paper; it was imprinted directly on Poe’s skin, like the ink from a tattoo. 

“What the hell is this?” Poe exclaimed, trying to rub off the spot. But of course nothing happened; the spot was now as much a part of him as the scar on his back and the falcon tattoo on his arm, that he’d gotten in honor of his beloved ship. 

“You know what it is, Poe,” came a soft voice behind him, and Poe whirled around, finding himself suddenly face to face with Rey Turner. 

Except no — it wasn’t actually Rey. Just a slightly older, more world-weary version of the blacksmith who’d helped save his life. 

It was Rey’s mother, Kira Turner. 

“Kira, you bastard,” Poe said, speaking the first words that popped into his mind. “What are you doing here, after all this time?”

By now he’d acclimated enough to this strange surprise that he was able to take a moment to study Kira more carefully, and realized there was something odd about her. Water was dripping off her hair and clothes, even though he hadn’t seen or heard her climb out of the ocean. She had what looked like barnacles plastered to her arms, and a starfish had attached itself to the side of her face. 

Poe closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. “You know, maybe I shouldn’t have drunk that whole bottle of rum. I bet I’m imagining all of this. It’s time for me to go to bed and sleep this off...”

Kira reached out and grabbed him by the arm, and Poe recoiled from her cold, slimy touch. 

“What the hell, Kira?” Poe felt like he’d been touched by an octopus. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. “What happened to you?”

Kira’s expressions had always been hard to read — much harder than her daughter’s. Rey was sometimes too hot-blooded to hide her emotions. But if Poe wasn’t mistaken, tonight Kira actually just looked sad. And exhausted — she was technically in her 40s but seemed much, much older. Her experiences had aged her beyond the years she’d spent on this earth so far. 

“After I left Snoke, I stumbled into some trouble,” Kira said. “Took up with a captain who was worse than he was, if you can believe that.”

Poe nodded, even though he didn’t. He had a hard time imagining someone who was worse than James Snoke. 

“Our ship went down in the middle of a storm,” Kira continued. “By that time, my daughter had already broken the curse, and I realized I was going to die, drowned in the ocean, where no one would ever find me or remember me.”

Poe wasn’t sure how Kira had heard that it was Rey specifically who had broken the curse on Isla de Muerta, but he didn’t ask. He was much too intrigued — and troubled — by his speculations of what she might say next. 

“Some would say I should have been brave and accepted my fate,” Kira said. “But I couldn’t. So when she came to me, offering me a bargain, I took it.”

Kira stretched out her hand and then turned it over, showing him the black spot that was embedded in her own palm. 

“You made a bargain with Mother Talzin too?” Poe asked, not necessarily comforted by the fact Kira and he now had this in common. “Pardon me for saying this, but didn’t you learn anything from watching my dealings with her?”

“What was I supposed to do?” Kira snapped. “You know how she haunts the seas, and how it amuses her to make deals with desperate people who have nowhere else to turn. She said she would save me from drowning, but that I would owe her 100 years of servitude as a harbinger.”

Poe was sobered by Kira’s words, and he felt that breeze with its uncomfortable chill wrapping around him again. Poe had heard of Mother Talzin’s “harbingers.” She used them as messengers, spies, and couriers, giving them the power to travel quickly across the seas without having to use a ship. 

But this power came at a steep price: every year of servitude, these harbingers lost a little more of their humanity, and became a little more like the sea itself. Poe had never known Mother Talzin to require a sentence as long as 100 years; would there even be anything left of Kira Turner at the end of that time? 

“So now you’re a harbinger — so what?” Poe asked her, feeling a little guilty about how harsh the words sounded coming out of his mouth. He did pity Kira, but he also couldn’t quite forget how she’d joined Snoke in mutinying against him. Maybe this was just fate catching up to Kira — as fate inevitably seemed to do. “You still haven’t explained why you’re here. If you’re really one of Mother Talzin’s underlings, prove it. Give me some real information that’s actually useful.”

Kira’s eyes flashed with anger, and for a second, Poe once again felt like he was looking at her daughter, Rey. “The black spot means your bill has come due, and it won’t disappear until the debt has been paid. That’s why I’ll have this damned black spot on my own hand for 100 more years. You knew the rules of the deal you made with Mother Talzin, and you knew you’d one day have to return to her when she called.”

Poe’s thoughts flickered back to that night when he’d waded through the swamp to Mother Talzin’s hovel, fevered and desperate. He’d heard that the _Sea Falcon_ had been lost at sea, and he didn’t want to accept it. At the time, he would have done anything — anything — to get the _Sea Falcon_ back. She’d offered him a trade — do something for me, and I’ll raise up the _Sea Falcon_ for you — and at the moment, it had seemed worth it. But he believed that he’d have time —so much more time — before she’d call on him to fulfill his half of the bargain…

“I know you’re going to try to run from Mother Talzin for a while,” Kira said, and when Poe tried to protest, she actually smiled — a sad, bemused smile that made him strangely nostalgic for the days when the two of them had actually been friends.

“Who me?” Poe asked weakly, and Kira shook her head. 

“That’s just who you are, Poe: an overly cocky, stubborn as hell survivor, and I don’t blame you for trying to avoid your fate. Maybe you actually can hide for a while. I’d stick to land as much as possible — it’s harder for us harbingers to reach you on dry ground than when you’re on the seas. But I know that _you_ know that you can’t run forever. Just consider that maybe in the end, it would be better for you to go back to Mother Talzin willingly, than for her to have to drag you kicking and screaming.”

“Well, thank you for not personally dragging me back to her right now,” Poe said; he figured he could give Kira that little bit of gratitude, at least. “I’m sure Mother Talzin will catch me eventually, but I have to make her work for it, right? I wouldn’t want to disappoint her by being too easy to outsmart.”

Kira smirked in a knowing way. “Oh yes — Mother Talzin does enjoy the thrill of the chase.”

Poe and Kira fell silent after that, staring at each other awkwardly for several seconds, and Poe realized he was ready for Kira to leave. It seemed cruel to order her to just get off his ship, but he needed space to think...and plan. 

He’d have to tell Finn and the rest of his crew about the black spot, and about what Mother Talzin was going to require of him. He’d only given them vague details in the past, of course thinking that he’d have many, many years left of freedom before the Nightsister queen called upon him to fulfill his bargain. He was going to try to run from Mother Talzin as long as he could — he was pirate captain Poe Dameron after all. But like he’d just told Kira, Mother Talzin would catch him eventually, and Finn would never forgive him if he just suddenly disappeared without explanation. 

Kira turned to go, having said all she came to say and sensing Poe’s desire for her to leave him alone. Poe knew he should probably let her disappear quietly into the fog and the darkness, but before she could go, he had to ask her the question that had been nagging him all these years. 

“Why did you betray me, Kira?” Maybe the answer would hurt, but he needed to know. To get closure. “You’re not a heartless bastard like Snoke. Out of all the people who turned against me...you surprised me the most. I thought we were...well...friends. If you had a problem with me, why didn’t you just come to me directly?”

Kira glanced back at him, and Poe thought he saw a tinge of regret in her eyes. Again, with Kira Turner it was always hard to tell.

“Snoke promised me a treasure that would grant me immortality,” she said. “An eternal freedom I would never have to worry about losing. Of course I knew it was wrong to betray you, but I couldn’t resist running after that kind of prize. I’ve always feared being trapped in a cage, and growing older seemed the worst kind of prison to me. I’d already abandoned my husband and my daughter to pursue the freedom piracy offered me. If I could stomach the guilt that came from that, I figured I could stomach the guilt from betraying you.”

“Was it worth it?” Poe asked. He thought of the pain that learning who her mother really was had brought Rey. “Any of it?”

Kira looked him straight in the eyes, no longer able to hide the pain in her expression. “No. It wasn’t. And I’ll live with the consequences for the rest of my life.”

“Maybe you should try to make things right with your daughter,” Poe blurted out. “I mean, right now I’m pretty sure that she absolutely hates you, but if you’re looking for absolution, I think you should at least give it a shot. Snoke is gone; you’re free to be someone new now.”

“Is he? Is Snoke really gone?” Kira said, and for a second Poe thought she was speaking in a metaphorical sense. As in, the scars that Snoke had left would be with the both of them forever. That was probably true. 

Yet as he continued to stare at her, he realized she meant something else. And he didn’t like that “something else” at all. 

“Snoke IS dead,” Poe said. That had to be true. “He died on Isla de Muerta, and his body is going to rot there forever.”

“Yes, he is dead,” Kira agreed, but her grim expression didn’t exactly comfort Poe. “Mother Talzin was glad to see him go. But you know as well as I do that the island holds other secrets — including one that’s even more dangerous than the curse. When the curse broke, it released something that had been held captive within the island. And now it’s on the loose. I’m guessing that’s why Mother Talzin is calling in your debt now. She won’t admit it, but she’s scared of what’s coming. She needs all the help she can get.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?” Poe asked, suddenly afraid. “What’s powerful enough to scare Mother Talzin?”

But either Kira had been called away or she was afraid to answer, because she simply vanished. One second she was standing in front of him, and the next she evaporated into the mist. 

Poe swore, but not because he was mad at Kira at this moment. In this case, she was literally just the messenger. 

He couldn’t believe how in the span of one conversation, his future had completely unraveled, and based on Kira’s words, it would unravel still further, in ways he couldn’t even begin to predict right now. He didn’t fully know what was coming, but he was determined to stick to his plan. 

It was time to run — as fast as he could, for as long as he could. He was going to order Wedge to turn the ship around and sail for Tortuga. Whatever was coming, he was going to fight for his freedom and for the _Sea Falcon_.


	13. A Bargain Made, A Debt Owed

Ben sank into his bed, still dressed in his wedding clothes and not having the heart or the energy to take them off. Although the clothes had finally dried out from being soaked by the afternoon rain, the pain from the day’s events lingered. 

Rey was supposed to be here with him, but instead he was spending this night alone, and — he feared — all the rest of the nights in his life, if his uncle wasn’t able to figure out a way to save Rey from the Admiral’s judgement. 

He stared at the candle flicking on the nightstand beside his bed, watching as the wax dripped down and the candle burned lower and lower. He’d burn through the whole candle if he didn’t blow it out, and his uncle would chide him for being wasteful. Yet right now he couldn’t bear to sit alone in the darkness, chasing the sleep he was certain would evade him. 

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the letter his mother had given him. If the wedding had gone as planned, he and Rey would have read this letter together already. Before he even realized what he was doing, he found his fingers moving towards the wax seal, as he pondered whether he should go ahead and open the note. It felt wrong to read it without Rey, but it was already wrong that she wasn’t here. 

It had been ten long years since Ben had last seen his mother, and in this moment, he realized just how desperately he missed her. He wished she was here, to take his face in her hands and promise him that everything would be all right, just as she did when he was a child. He needed to read this letter now, and imagine that she was sitting next to him saying the words. 

With trembling hands, he opened the letter and began to read: 

_To my dearest son, Ben, and my new daughter-in-law, Rey,_

_Congratulations on this most special day — the day you merge your two lives into one, and begin a new adventure together. Words cannot express how much I long to be there to celebrate with you. I have recently recovered from an illness — I promise, nothing to worry yourselves about — but my dear doctor made me promise that I would not attempt the long journey from London to Port Royal just yet. Believe me, I tried to argue with him and convince him to let me go. Unfortunately, he’s even more stubborn than I am._

Ben laughed a little at that; he could imagine his fiery-tempered mother fighting with her doctor. 

_But I hope to join you in Port Royal one day, and I have faith that eventually we will all be together,_ the letter continued. _Ben — my dear, sweet boy, I am so, so proud of you. I know we did not part on the best of terms, but I hope we can mend that. I love you so much — and I know your father loved you, and would have been so proud of you too._

_As for you, Rey, I do not know you yet, but I am sure you are the perfect match for my son. I wish I could promise that your life together will always be filled with clear skies and calm seas, but every marriage must weather its storms. Do not forget to lean on each other, in both good times and bad, and to tell each other each day “I love you.”_

_Love always,_   
_Leia_

His mother had written a “P.S.” after that, but Ben couldn’t read it, because his eyes were too blurry with tears. He longed for so many things — that Rey could have read this letter tonight, that his mother wasn’t separated from them by a vast ocean. It wasn’t right — nothing about this whole damn day had been right. 

He thought of Rey spending a cold, lonely night alone in the jail cell, and finally something within him broke. He wasn’t sure how long he cried, his face buried in a pillow, but by the time his eyes dried and he’d put the broken pieces inside himself back together, he had hardened into something new. 

Ben knew his uncle would do everything he could to try to appeal Rey’s sentence. But Luke’s way would take time — a complicated strategy of political maneuvering and bargaining, taking care not to (technically) break any rules. 

Ben feared Rey didn’t have that kind of time. He wouldn’t put it past the Admiral to try to expedite her sentencing. 

Ben had to do something _now_. 

Tucking the letter back into his pocket, he changed out of his wedding clothes into plain pants, a shirt, and boots, throwing a black cloak over the ensemble. He blew out the dying flame of the candle and quietly slipped out of his room, trying not to wake his uncle as he crept down the darkened hallway. 

He knew his uncle wouldn’t approve of what he was about to do, and he hoped the governor would understand that he didn’t enjoy directly defying his orders. This time, he wasn’t being a rebel just for the sake of being a rebel. 

He simply had this nagging sense that he and Rey were running out of time, and he was willing to take a risk to get ahead of the Admiral’s machinations. He already knew the risk would be worth it — he just hoped it would also be successful. 

***

Ben found it surprisingly easy to sneak into the Admiral’s house on the other side of Port Royal. He’d expected to encounter at least a handful of guards, but apparently the Admiral was confident enough in his social and political standing that he assumed no one would dare to try something stupid like breaking into his home. 

For better or worse, “trying something stupid” was exactly what Ben was here to do. 

He found a window at the back of the house that wasn’t locked and then climbed inside, falling on his left knee and making a “thud” that was much louder than he would have liked. He held his breath and listened silently for several minutes, gritting his teeth as he rubbed his knee. Thankfully, no one had overheard his clumsy episode, and he was able to continue sneaking through the house without incident. 

Ben’s plan was simple (perhaps a little TOO simple, since he had no real contingency plan in case things went wrong; unfortunately, he hadn’t had time to come up with something better). He would surprise the Admiral by waking him up in the dead of night, holding Rey’s sword to his throat (he’d stopped by the blacksmithing shop to grab the sword on his way here). Then, he would compel the Admiral to make some kind of deal with him that would result in Rey’s release. He was sure Poe would have advocated for something a little flashier, but Ben was convinced this would work. He felt confident that he could beat the Admiral at his own game of threats and blackmail. 

Except, despite how quietly Ben had sneaked through the house, not encountering a single other soul, when he slowly turned the doorknob to the Admiral’s room and stepped inside, he found Brendol Hux sitting in the darkness, waiting for him. 

“Good evening, Benjamin Swann,” the Admiral said, giving Ben a cold smile. “Or should I say good morning? It is after midnight, is it not?”

“I…” Ben caught himself stammering. He tried to brandish the sword, but he found his composure slipping away as he watched his plan fall apart. Yes, he definitely should have made time to think of a contingency plan.

“Why don’t you come sit down?” the Admiral said, gesturing to a chair across from him. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“You...you have?” Ben knew that was an incredibly dumb question, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He was so stunned that he didn’t even consider running; he just obediently sat in the chair across from the Admiral, wondering what the hell was going to happen now. 

The Admiral chuckled, though there was no mirth in the sound. “You’re a very different man from your uncle, Benjamin Swann. I know he’s going to use his political capital to try to pardon Rey again, but I also know that you’re not that patient. You’re an impulsive young man who was supposed to be married today — of course you’re going to come and confront me. I see you even brought a sword. What were you thinking — planning to challenge me to a duel?”

“I was...well...going to try to bargain with you,” Ben said, and there was a flicker of interest in the Admiral’s eyes. Then again, maybe it was just a reflection from the room’s solitary candle burning on the table. 

“As in, you were planning to hold a sword to my throat and command me to release Miss Turner?” The Admiral shook his head. “How very cliché of you. What would you have done if I’d refused? Would you have run that sword through me? Poe Dameron would have. Rey Turner _certainly_ would have. But are you made of stern enough mettle, Mr. Swann?”

Ben didn’t answer, staring down at the sword now resting on his lap. What _would_ he have done? Again, he hadn’t exactly come up with contingency plans; he’d walked in assuming that he could compel the Admiral to make a bargain.

“I figured I’d have to offer you something in exchange for Rey’s freedom,” Ben said. “When you came to interrupt my wedding, you told me it pays to have people who owe you favors. So, tell me — what favor can I owe you?”

For a second, Ben was afraid the Admiral would start laughing, mocking him for ever presuming that he could have something of value to offer the Admiral. 

Yet instead, Brendol Hux immediately leaned forward, and now Ben could see that he really did have a glint in his eyes — not just a trick of the light.

“Good,” the Admiral said. “Now we’re getting somewhere. It’s true that I wouldn’t have tolerated a silly display of bravado like you pointing a sword in my face and commanding me to release Rey or else. But I believe I could be persuaded to make a deal with you, Benjamin Swann.”

What confusing twists and turns this encounter was taking. At first, it had started worse than expected, but now it was actually going better than expected. That could only mean the Admiral had anticipated this possibility, and had some specific favor in mind. 

Ben knew he didn’t have the luxury of feeling scared or reluctant right now. Whatever deal the Admiral wanted to offer him, he’d have to take it. 

“If you promise to let Rey go, I’ll do anything,” Ben said, and the Admiral nodded. 

“Well, that’s good to hear, because the task I have for you may not be easy. I need you to bring me Poe Dameron’s compass, using whatever means necessary.”

“Poe Dameron’s...compass?” It took Ben a second to realize why in the world the Admiral would want such an ordinary object. That’s because Poe Dameron’s compass was far from ordinary. Given to him by Mother Talzin, the magical compass had the power to guide its owner to whatever they wanted most. And that meant it could lead you to places that weren’t referenced on any map, such as the Isla de Muerta. 

“What are you going to do with it?” Ben asked, and the Admiral gave him an admonishing look. 

“Really, that’s none of your business. Didn’t you just promise me that you would do anything to save your bride-to-be? All you have to do to free her is bring me a compass; I’m not asking you to use dark magic or to sell your soul.”

Although the Admiral might not wish to admit how he planned to use the compass, Ben was certain the device would prove to be a dangerous weapon in the Admiral’s hands. Maybe Brendol Hux would use the compass to wipe out all the pirates in the Caribbean, including Poe Dameron. Maybe he would use it to hunt down buried treasure and use his newfound wealth to buy himself even more prestige and power. 

However, Ben would have to set those speculations aside. He’d already decided: whatever price he had to pay for Rey’s freedom, he would do it. Even if it meant handing the Admiral a key that would enable him to unlock whatever terrible plan he had brewing. 

Ben stuck out his hand, preparing to confirm their deal with a handshake. “Do you swear that you will let Rey go, as soon as you have the compass?” 

“I swear on my honor as a Royal Navy officer,” he said, and when Ben still seemed skeptical, the Admiral pulled out a sheet of parchment. 

“I have a formal pardon from the king himself, right here,” he said. “As you can see, the name has been left blank — a favor for me to give to whomever I choose.” The Admiral took out a quill pen and a bottle of ink and carefully wrote Rey Turner’s name onto the document in flowing script. “This parchment will remain with me until you return with the compass. Is that enough of a guarantee?”

Ben wanted so badly to reach out and grab the sheet of paper from the Admiral, so that he could free Rey right away. But he had a feeling if he attempted that, he wouldn’t get too far; maybe the reason he hadn’t seen any guards on his way in is because they’d _allowed_ him to think he’d avoided them. 

“Then it looks like we have a deal,” Ben said, and he and the Admiral shook hands. Despite the Admiral’s promise that he wasn’t selling his soul here, Ben felt as if he’d just made a deal with the devil. Yet what other choice did he have? 

He didn’t even know if Poe would give him the compass willingly, but he’d worry about that later. He had seen, with his own eyes, a formal written pardon for Rey in the Admiral’s hands. All he had to do was trade a compass for it. He could do it, and then he and Rey could actually begin their lives together, without being haunted by the looming threat of the Admiral’s revenge. 

Ben stopped by the governor’s mansion long enough to leave a quick note of apology to his uncle for disappearing without saying goodbye, and then stuffed an extra pair of clothes and some miscellaneous supplies into a knapsack. 

He decided his first stop would be the harbor, where he could hopefully find a ship that would give him passage. He needed to find Poe Dameron as soon as possible, and he had a feeling Tortuga would be the best place to start his search. 

***

Rey woke up the next morning with a sore back and a pounding headache. She had finally fallen asleep sometime after midnight, but she’d been plagued by restless dreams, and she wondered if she would have felt better if she’d just stayed up all night. 

She could hear her stomach growling, but she was too proud to ask the guard patrolling the line of cells when breakfast would be served. She couldn’t afford to show these people any sign of desperation. 

The guard disappeared for some time, and when she heard a different set of footsteps coming down the hall, her spirits lifted, if only just a little. Hopefully, this was breakfast. It would probably be some grayish-colored gruel or a piece of bread that was as hard as a rock, but right now she was so hungry she didn’t care. 

Yet to her amazement, the visitor wasn’t a guard bringing breakfast. A man, whose face was shrouded by the hood of his dark brown cloak, whispered frantically to her, “Come with me — hurry!”

He produced a set of keys and unlocked the door to her cell. Too surprised to know what else to do, Rey picked up her skirts so she could walk quickly and followed the man out of the prison. 

She had no idea who he was or where he was taking her, and as they hurried through the back alleyways of Port Royal, she wondered belatedly if this was some kind of trap set by Admiral Brendol Hux. Maybe he felt he could get her an even harsher sentence if she was caught trying to escape from prison. 

Before they made it to the edge of the jungle outside of town, Rey stopped and put her hands on her hips. She hated to be so suspicious of her rescuer, but she needed to know this wasn’t a trick. 

“Who are you?” she asked, in as stern a voice as she could muster. “I need to know who you really are before I go a step further.”

The mysterious man surprisingly didn’t argue, almost as if he already knew her and understood that she was stubborn enough to stand there all day. The man looked around, just to make sure no one was watching, before slowly removing his hood. 

“Governor Swann?” Rey exclaimed. She honestly couldn’t believe it. Out of all the people who could have broken her out of prison...she never would have guessed it would be the governor himself. 

“Yes — and now that you know this isn’t a trap, we need to hurry,” Luke said, gesturing at her to follow him into the jungle. “Your ship is waiting.”

“Wait, what’s happening?” Rey asked, terribly confused. “Where is Ben?”

“I don’t know,” Luke confessed, and Rey could see the worry and exhaustion in his eyes. He obviously hadn’t slept well either. “Apparently Ben has cooked up some plan to free you, but he didn’t leave me any details.”

“Then why—”

“Am I here?” Luke finished. “Well, I heard rumors that Ben went to visit the Admiral last night, and apparently made some kind of bargain in exchange for your freedom. I do not know the specifics of this deal, but I DO know the Admiral, and I fear this bargain will cost Ben dearly.

“I’m sure you understand that I cannot allow him to place himself in the Admiral’s debt. I was going to try a less brash way of securing your freedom, but it’s too late now. Events are already in motion. I bribed one of the guards to let me into the prison this morning, and later he will claim that it was Poe Dameron who helped you escape. I had to give the guard a good whack on the head, just to make it believable. There’s a ship currently waiting for you at the harbor and it will transport you to the Americas, where you should be able to get a fresh start under a new identity that I have created for you.”

“I…” Rey didn’t know what to say. The governor had just taken an uncharacteristically dangerous risk to buy her a ticket to freedom, and she knew she should probably be grateful. However, the fact this supposed “fresh start” did not include a mention of Ben hadn’t escaped her notice. 

“So where does Ben fit into all this?” she said, and Luke looked at her sorrowfully. 

“My dear, I know you love him. But you have to see it now — there is absolutely no future for the two of you. By saving Poe Dameron, you branded yourself as a pirate. I’m not saying you did the wrong thing, just stating facts. I thought I could save you by pardoning you, but the Admiral has shown me that I am falling out of political favor, and now I fear you shall always have a target on your head. Rey, it’s time for you to let Ben go. If you walk away from him, he will grieve, yes, but he will also be able to have a safe and normal life. He will always be in danger as long as he is with you.”

“No...I...I can’t.” Rey backed away from Luke, too horrified to consider the words he was saying. “I love him, I can’t just leave him! It would break his heart.”

“Rey, please.” Luke pressed a scrap of paper into her hands. “This note will secure you passage on board _The Ghost_. Her captain is honorable, and will take you safely to the Americas. When I find my nephew, I will send him home to his mother in London, where he will be safe. Trust me, this is all for the best.”

Rey knew that in Luke’s mind, he was being generous. He’d risked his career and maybe even his life to do this for her, and she should accept this chance he was offering her. Still, this note felt like he’d dealt her a punishment. He was promising her safety, but it came with a bitter poison: a life without Ben. 

“Go, Rey!” Luke urged her, and then he was gone, correctly assuming that the longer they lingered, the greater their risk of getting caught. 

Numbly, Rey stepped into the jungle and allowed the foliage to hide her as she trudged towards the harbor, her feet feeling as heavy as her heart. What the devil should she do? If she went to the Americas, she would never see the man she loved again, but he would be safe. Was she selfish for wanting to defy Luke, and go look for Ben instead? Did loving him truly mean letting him go? 

She finally came within sight of the harbor but lingered in the jungle, realizing she’d look very suspicious walking down the dock in her wedding dress. She wished Luke had brought her a disguise, but that couldn’t be helped now. 

She undressed, feeling a pang as she stuffed the beautiful dress into a clump of ferns. It was sad to ruin the nicest piece of clothing she had ever worn, but she couldn’t afford to let anyone see it or find it, and realize where she’d gone. Her plain white underdress might get some stares, but it was far less obvious than a pink brocade gown would have been. 

She saw _The Ghost_ docked at the end of the harbor, and she clutched the parchment in her hand. Although her head told her to get on board and to do as Luke said, her heart could not bear the grief that Ben would feel if she simply vanished from his life. She decided it was time to forge her own path. 

She crumbled the note from Luke and tossed it in the water, so that no one would find any evidence that the governor had helped her. She still needed passage on a ship, but she needed a different destination than _The Ghost_ could offer her. 

She knew of one person who could maybe help her with her plight, and she decided that the best thing to do would be to try to find him instead. 

She needed to find Captain Poe Dameron.

***

Rose felt guilty for following Rey, and then eavesdropping on her conversation with the governor.

It was an odd twist of fate that she’d even stumbled across them in the first place. She’d woken up that morning and then gone straight to the jail, hoping she’d be allowed to visit her friend Rey and slip her a fruit pie. However, the guards had refused to let her see Rey (likely based on an order from Admiral Brendol Hux).

Dejected, Rose had lingered outside the prison, the fruit pie going cold in her hands. She’d seen the mysterious hooded man slip into the prison, and with both her curiosity and her concern piqued, she decided to wait and see what might happen, hiding herself in the shadows. Not long after, the hooded man emerged from the prison with Rey herself, and the two of them had immediately ducked into an alley and headed for the outskirts of town. 

Unsure of what was going on, Rose tailed them until they stopped outside the jungle. She wanted to make sure that Rey wasn’t in danger, and that the mysterious benefactor who’d sprung her from prison was indeed friend and not foe. 

Rose had watched in shock as the hooded man revealed himself to be Governor Luke Swann. She was standing too far away to catch everything he and Rey were saying, but as she understood it, the governor wanted Rey to flee to the Americas and start a new life that would unfortunately not include Ben. 

Luke had departed after that, and for a while, Rose lost track of Rey in the jungle. She’d eventually found her friend again near the docks, Rey’s wedding dress having been shed somewhere in the jungle. Rey crumpled a piece of paper and tossed it in the water, and Rose could only assume that meant Rey was rejecting the offer Luke had presented her. 

However, Rey now very clearly had another destination in mind, and Rose realized she had an important decision to make. Rey was now a fugitive on the run from justice, and wherever she was going, it would probably be dangerous. And right now, she was all alone. 

Rose didn’t have much time to make her choice. She did not have time to run home and consult with her parents. She did not have time to grab a change of clothes or other supplies. If she was going to follow Rey and try to protect her, she would have to choose to go now. 

Rose had already experienced one dangerous adventure on the high seas, and she knew it would break her parents’ hearts if she ran away again. Yet as she stared at her best friend standing on the dock, looking both desperate and determined, Rose knew what she had to do. 

***

_Have you ever heard the legend of Davy Jones?_

_It’s a story that sailors have told for so long that no one can remember if Davy Jones is a man or a myth. Perhaps, he is a bit of both._

_Davy Jones is known as “the sailors’ devil,” and his domain — the bottom of the sea — is “the sailors’ hell.” Anyone who dies at sea is tossed overboard and is said to be sent to “Davy Jones’ locker.”_

_Sailors always claim they don’t believe in Davy Jones. They like to think that what they’re really afraid of is just the crushing depths of the cold, dark ocean._

_Yet if you’ve sailed the seas for as long as I have, then you’ve probably seen some things that can’t easily be explained by natural laws. There are nightmares lurking in the darkness — nightmares we try to forget about in the daylight, but always come back to haunt our dreams._

_Who knows — maybe Davy Jones really is waiting for us at the bottom of the ocean. I always pray I won’t actually die on a ship, so I won’t be sent to meet my judgement at the hands of the devil of the seas…_

Dorian Mitaka startled awake, shivering in the dark as his body was battered by the icy wind and rain. 

He’d been dreaming — or maybe hallucinating. At this point, it was hard to tell. 

He couldn’t recall how long he’d sat on the deck of _The Silencer_ , desperately hoping the storm would end. 

_The Silence_ r had run aground in the midst of the worst storm Dorian had ever seen. The winds had driven the ship into a bed of rocks jutting up from the ocean, and the ship was too far from shore for the crew to jump overboard and swim to safety. 

Many of the sailors had tried boarding the ship’s lifeboats, but the storm had dashed the lifeboats helplessly against the rocks, the roaring wind drowning out the sailors’ screams. Dorian feared the storm would soon batter _The Silencer_ itself to pieces. 

Days ago, he’d found his invitation to join the crew of _The Silencer_ to be a stroke of good fortune. He’d previously served under Commodore Armitage Hux — a man he had always liked and admired. When Hux had been dishonorably discharged — by his own father, no less — Dorian had deserted the Royal Navy, unwilling to serve a man without honor like the Admiral. 

He’d joined up with the crew of _The Silencer_. They claimed to be privateers authorized by the king himself, but they were really just pirates. At the time, Dorian hadn’t cared; he just wanted to get as far away from Admiral Brendol Hux and Port Royal as possible. 

But then this terrible storm had struck, and now most of the crew of _The Silencer_ were lost at sea. And no matter how much Dorian tried to distract himself and keep up his spirits, he kept thinking of the story _The Silencer’s_ first mate had told him about Davy Jones. 

_Who knows — maybe Davy Jones really is waiting for us at the bottom of the ocean. I always pray I won’t actually die on a ship, so I won’t be sent to meet my judgement at the hands of the devil of the seas…_

The first mate was one of the first men to fall overboard tonight, and Dorian had been unable to save him. The first mate had always had this odd obsession with Davy Jones, and Dorian wondered if the man’s last thoughts had been of that myth. 

Dorian wanted to believe that Davy Jones was just a silly story; sailors always loved to tell tall tales. But sitting here alone in the midst of the waves and the wind, he was starting to believe in those nightmares lurking in the darkness that the first mate had warned him about…

Dorian was too terrified to sleep but also too exhausted to stay awake, and he found himself drifting in and out of a feverish sort of semi-consciousness. He was so disoriented that when he heard the sudden thudding of footsteps on the deck, he assumed he was imagining it. 

_Tell me, Dorian Mitaka — do you fear death?_

For just a second, it sounded like the first mate’s ghost, and Dorian stared upwards in horror. 

Later, when he was asked to describe what he saw that night on the deck of _The Silencer_ during the storm, Dorian would find it difficult to put the words together. Because the man standing before him — if this creature could even be called a man — looked like no mortal being Dorian had ever seen. 

Like a man, he had two arms and two legs — one of them a peg leg that was making the loud thudding sound as he walked across the deck. But instead of a normal mouth beneath his eyes and two slits for a nose, he had...tentacles. Wiggling, writhing tentacles that made him look like a half man/half squid. 

“What...what are you?” Dorian asked, shrinking back in revulsion, and the creature merely smiled. “How do you know who I am?”

“Have you ever heard the legend of Davy Jones?” the creature asked, echoing the first mate’s words. His voice had a strange cadence to it — with an accent Dorian couldn’t place — and his words sounded oddly melodic for such a terrifying creature. 

Dorian wasn’t sure how he knew this, but he could feel the truth of it in his bones: this creature was the devil of the seas, the “Davy Jones” he’d always tried to dismiss as nothing but a story. 

“Let me tell you, then,” the creature — Davy Jones — said, when Dorian was still too stunned to answer. “Once upon a time — ages ago, too old to even be recorded in history — there lived a man. His name was Sheev, and he was the emperor of a forgotten land whose name no one remembers — not even him. 

“He was the most powerful man in the world, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. He needed more. And so, he made a bargain with a witch queen — he gave her his most valuable possession, and in turn she gave him the greatest power of all: immortality. She bestowed on him a new title — Davy Jones — and tasked him with ferrying souls who die at sea through the World Between Worlds and into the afterlife. And for a while, it was enough.

“But that sort of contentment, it never lasts. Want began to eat away at him, rotting him on the inside until it was all he could think of. He tried to trick the sorceress, but she was still too powerful for him. She bound him and trapped him deep within an island that was home to a cursed treasure. 

“What the sorceress did not realize is that when the curse broke, Davy Jones would also be released. And then he would be free to get his revenge on her and seize the crown that always should have been his: not just ruler of the seas, but of the entire world.”

_It’s a dream — it’s not real, it’s just a dream._

Dorian shut his eyes and chanted those words to himself over and over again, trying to convince himself to believe them. 

_It’s a dream — it’s not real, it’s just a dream…_

“Did you wonder how such a violent storm cropped up so suddenly?”

Davy Jones knelt down next to Dorian, the salty spittle from his taunting words stinging Dorian’s skin. Dorian cowered, but with his back up against the railing, there was nowhere to escape. 

“I did this,” Davy Jones said, sounding very proud of himself. “A display of power that will let the witch queen know I have returned. A threat to let the world know I am coming.”

Dorian was convinced, then, that Davy Jones was going to kill him. He’d been spared by the storm, but he’d soon be joining the first mate at the bottom of the sea. His parents would never learn what had happened to him.

Although Davy Jones seemed to take pleasure in Dorian’s suffering, death was apparently not quite what the devil of the seas had in mind for him. 

“I am going to let you live, Dorian,” Davy Jones said, and Dorian immediately buried his face in his hands and began to sob in relief. 

“I am going to let you live — for one reason only,” Davy Jones continued. Dorian looked up, trying to blink away his tears. He noticed the storm had abruptly stopped; the seas had calmed, the wind had died down, and the rain had all dried up. “Dorian Mitaka, I want you to get into _The Silencer’s_ last remaining lifeboat and row to shore as fast as you possibly can. I want you to walk into the closest tavern and tell everyone you find the story I just told you. Then I want you to go to the next town, the next tavern, and tell everyone the same story. And you will do this again, and again, and again, until I release you from my service. The witch queen has her harbingers; I deserve a messenger of my own.”

Dorian was too afraid to argue, and so he nodded numbly. Davy Jones grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and hauled him to his feet. He threw Dorian into the lifeboat and as soon as the oars touched the water, Dorian began to row. 

He never once considered deviating from the mission that Davy Jones had given him. Because he knew that if he tried to run from this duty, or veer off course even just a little, Davy Jones would find him, and drag him down to a watery hell. He only looked back once, just in time to see a sight that would plague his nightmares for the rest of his life: a writhing mass of slithery black tentacles — each one as long and wide as a ship’s mast — explode from the water, grab the wreckage of _The Silencer_ , and pull it under. 

Despite Dorian’s exhaustion, he started running as soon as he’d reached the shore and jumped out of the lifeboat. He barged through the doors of the first tavern he saw, and he must have had such a wild, frenzied look on his face that all the bar’s patrons put down their drinks and stared at him.

Dorian looked around, wondering if his heart would ever stop pounding. Right now it was like a drum beat, driving him onward like a man possessed. 

“Can I help you, son?” the woman attending the bar asked, looking more than a little concerned. 

Dorian sucked in a sharp breath. “Have you ever heard the legend of Davy Jones?”


	14. Unpleasant Reunions

When Ben bartered for passage on board the _Lady Luck_ , he was pretty sure the captain knew who he really was. 

However, Captain Calrissian was a true gentleman; he made no mention of Ben’s real identity throughout the voyage to Tortuga, and he even gave Ben a bag of extra supplies before he departed the ship. 

Captain Calrissian was one of the wealthiest merchants in the Caribbean, with a dangerously charming smile and the most stylish collection of coats Ben had ever seen. Ben had a feeling Captain Calrissian was the sort of lovable scoundrel who could swindle you and you wouldn’t even be mad at him for it. 

Ever since he was young, Ben had harbored a secret desire to visit Tortuga — a wish he knew his uncle most certainly would NOT approve of. It was a place that seemed both dangerous and exciting, which was part of its allure. If pirates wanted a night of rowdy fun, then Tortuga was the place to go. 

Ben arrived in Tortuga mid-afternoon, and he was surprised by how quiet the town seemed. He wandered around for a while, ordering a small meat pie from the marketplace and discreetly keeping an eye out for Poe.

However, that “quiet” turned out to be deceptive, because as soon as the sun went down, Tortuga transformed into a raucous carnival.

Laughter and bawdy singing drifted through the open doorways and windows of every tavern, and pirates stumbled drunkenly through the streets, often with a mug of ale in each hand. Ben wouldn’t have admitted it, but this was all a little overwhelming. He could hear so many different sea shanties being sung concurrently that he couldn’t make out the words to any of them. 

How the devil was he supposed to find Poe in such a chaotic place? He finally picked a random tavern — dubbed rather uncreatively “The Drunken Sailor” — and walked in.

This tavern was a little less crowded than the others appeared to be, and he could actually make his way over to the bar without running into any dancing revelers. He took a seat at a table in the corner next to the roaring fireplace and listened to the musicians perform a medley of tunes.

Ben wondered what he should do now. Wait in this tavern for an hour and see if he noticed anything, and then move onto the next one? It would probably be most effective to just start asking patrons if they’d seen or heard of Poe Dameron, but Ben had no idea how many enemies the captain had in this town. How risky was admitting you were a friend of Poe’s? 

“Hey handsome, can I get you something to drink?”

The voice behind him startled him, and he looked up and saw a grinning, red-headed barmaid winking at him. 

His face flushing, Ben ordered a mug of rum, and soon the barmaid was back with his beverage and another wink. He could tell she wanted to stay and flirt, which made him even more embarrassed. Finally, another customer caught her eye, and Ben was mercifully left alone again. 

Ben slowly sipped his rum, trying to work up the courage to go talk to some of the other patrons in the tavern. Maybe there was a casual way he could work Poe Dameron into a conversation, see how well that went over, and then ask for more details about the pirate’s whereabouts. In fact, Ben probably should have tested this method out on the barmaid. Blast, he was really bad at this. 

Draining the last of the liquid from his mug, Ben finally stood up, the rum doing its job and filling him with both warmth and artificially inflated confidence. 

Apparently, some of Captain Calrissian’s famous luck had followed him here tonight, because no sooner had Ben stood up than Poe Dameron himself walked through the door, looking more than a little frazzled. 

“Poe!” Ben exclaimed, but before the pirate could acknowledge him, Poe was distracted by an even louder exclamation of “Poe Dameron!” behind him. 

Poe turned and faced the doorway, and Ben collapsed back into his chair in shock as two young women walked into the tavern. 

He wasn’t sure how this was possible — or what circumstances had even led to this — but Lady Luck was indeed busy tonight. 

Because the two young women who had just walked into the bar behind Poe were Rose Tico and Rey Turner.

***

Rey’s journey to Tortuga hadn’t gone nearly as smoothly as Ben’s. 

First, she’d had a terrible time trying to find a ship that would take her to Tortuga. All the “respectable” vessels wouldn’t make port at what they called a “lawless pirate town,” and the other vessels declined to take her on board as a passenger because she was a woman. 

By the time she’d worked her way through most of the ships docked at the Port Royal harbor, Rey was fuming. It was at that point she decided that she’d have to change tactics. 

She traded the last few coins in her money pouch to a sailor in exchange for his clothes, so she could attempt to disguise herself as a man. The clothes reeked of salt and sweat, and she almost gagged when she pulled the shirt over her head. However, after she’d wound her hair into a tight topknot and slapped a floppy hat over it, she glanced down at her reflection in the water and realized she really could pass as a boy now. She rubbed some dirt on her face to complete the disguise, and then went to try the last few ships. 

She had a bad feeling about _The Twin Suns_ — it looked like the ship’s moldy wooden boards were barely holding together. But the captain of _The Twin Suns_ was the only person she could find who would give her free passage, in exchange for doing tedious chores throughout the voyage such as swabbing the deck. 

What further worsened Rey’s mood was the fact that she could have easily done these chores as Rey Turner, a woman. But no one here took her seriously unless they thought she was a man: “William Turner” (she’d used her father’s name when she couldn’t come up with anything else). It made her think wistfully of her time with Poe’s crew; Kaydel was treated with the same respect as her male crewmates, and she was always free to speak her mind and voice her opinions on the captain’s plans. 

As a young woman from a lower social class, Rey had been fighting to be respected her whole life, and she was growing weary of it. She felt a fresh pang of longing for Ben; from the moment they’d first met, he’d treated her as an equal, and seen her for who she truly was. With him, she was free to be the real Rey Turner, not some twisted version of what society wanted her to be. 

_I’ll see him again someday — we’ll find a way to be together,_ she promised herself, taking comfort in that thought as she swabbed rough wooden boards on the deck, her arms and back aching. 

As soon as _The Twin Suns_ set sail, Rey encountered another snag in her plan. The captain of the ship found an unauthorized stowaway, who turned out to be Rey’s best friend, Rose Tico. 

At first, Rey was upset — she didn’t want her best friend to be in danger, especially after Rose had already risked so much on their voyage to Isla de Muerta six months ago. That’s why after escaping from prison, Rey had slipped out of Port Royal without stopping by the Tico family bakery to say goodbye; she’d known Rose would insist on coming along, and Rey couldn’t do that to her friend. 

Yet whether it was by chance or by fate, Rose had stumbled across Rey anyway, and now it was too late to take Rose back to shore. Apparently Rose had seen Rey disguising herself as a boy, and she’d decided to do the same, calling herself Finn Tico, taking on the name of Poe’s first mate. The captain made Rose the assistant to the ship’s cook, and she and Rey worked so hard they barely even had time to talk to each other. Which was probably for the best, because it was hard to remember to call each other “William” and “Finn” when other people were around.

They arrived in Tortuga shortly before sundown, and Rey and Rose wandered around for a short while before finding themselves at a tavern called The Drunken Sailor. Rey wasn’t sure why, but she felt an indescribable pull to this place, as if this was where she was meant to be. Although the tavern didn’t look like much from the outside, Rey’s instincts were confirmed as she spotted Poe Dameron walking into the tavern ahead of them.

“Poe Dameron!” Rey called out to him as soon as she was within earshot. She knew she probably should have been more subtle, but she was grumpy and exhausted, and she wanted to get this done. 

Poe turned around, his eyes lighting up with surprise, and then Rey was startled by someone else at the back of the tavern calling “Rey?”

Rey didn’t know how Benjamin Swann had ended up at this rundown tavern on Tortuga, but at the moment, she didn’t care. The tightness in her chest disappeared as all her fears and frustrations melted away, and the only thing she wanted was to lose herself in that look of joy and wonder in his beautiful brown eyes. 

Rey didn’t give a damn that every single person in the bar was now staring at this display of emotion; she ran towards Ben and threw herself into his arms. He buried his face in her shoulder, not even noticing the stale smell of her clothes or the dirt caked on her face. For the briefest of moments, the world felt right again as they stood there holding each other. 

“All right, can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Poe Dameron threw up his hands in exasperation. “Rey and Ben, what are you doing here?” He glanced over at his first mate Finn, and then his eyes widened as he noticed that the woman Finn was currently hugging was Rose Tico. “Oh look, and Rose too!” He looked back at Rey and Ben. “Is this some strange sort of honeymoon trip? You know, you could have given me a little warning.”

Ben’s expression turned serious, and he and Rey reluctantly broke apart (though they still kept their fingers laced together). “Not exactly. We...well...we didn’t actually get married. Admiral Brendol Hux decided to interrupt the wedding by arresting Rey.”

“Oh.” Some of Poe’s irritation at being caught off guard was replaced by pity. “Wow, I’m...well...I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I thought he’d leave you alone after Luke pardoned all of us. Can’t the governor…” Poe’s voice trailed off as he realized that Ben was already shaking his head. 

“My uncle fears that he’s lost too much political influence. I had to go to the Admiral on my own and make a deal with him.” Ben looked Poe directly in the eyes and swallowed, as if he was preparing himself to ask a difficult question that he knew wouldn’t go over very well. “The Admiral said that if I brought him your magic compass, Poe, then he would pardon Rey forever.”

“My magic compass?” At that, Poe’s irritation fully returned. “No way in hell am I giving that to the Admiral!” He turned his attention to Rey. “And what sort of devil’s bargain did YOU make that brought you here? Did you promise the Admiral the _Sea Falcon_?”

“No,” Rey said. “But I do need your help, Poe. Luke broke me out of prison and wanted me to run away to the Americas. He said that if I wanted Ben to be safe, then I needed to leave him behind.”

“Well, I don’t care about being safe,” Ben blurted out indignantly. “I’d rather be with you, Rey. I know my uncle meant well, but he can’t force you to—”

“Yes, yes, we know you two are desperately in love and don’t want to be parted,” Poe cut in, dismissing Ben with a wave of his hand. “Right now I need everyone to be quiet for one bloody minute so I can process all this.”

Finn took that as his invitation to step into the argument, attempting to play peacemaker. “You’re our friends, so of course we’ll help you,” he told Rey, Rose, and Ben. “It’s just that...well...we’re in a bit of trouble of our own at the moment.”

“Yeah, it’s not really the best time for me,” Poe said, and it was at that moment that Rey finally noticed the strange black circle on his palm. 

“Oh this?” Poe said, acknowledging her confusion. “It’s a ‘black spot’ magically given to me by Mother Talzin, to inform me oh so kindly that my debt has now come due. At the moment I’m trying my damndest to run away from her.”

Poe’s voice had been steadily increasing in volume throughout his speech, and the patrons sitting at the surrounding tables had started to stare, some of them looking a little more interested than they should be. 

“You know, maybe we should take this discussion to a quieter place,” Rose suggested uneasily, and Finn nodded, grateful that he didn’t have to be the only voice of reason here. 

“Why not?” Poe sighed heavily. “Let’s pull up a table and discuss all our problems.” Then to himself he muttered, “Unless there’s another unexpected guest who wants to join us.”

As it turned out, there was.

Rey later decided there was no way this sort of convergence — all of them showing up at the same tavern in the same town on the same night — could be mere chance; there was something larger at work here, drawing them all together for a purpose that was yet to be determined. Because it was most definitely NOT a coincidence that before Poe could even sit down, through the doorway of The Drunken Sailor waltzed the former commodore Armitage Hux. And rather uncharacteristically, he appeared to be completely drunk. 

Rey had never seen Hux drunk before, but at the moment he was so inebriated that Rey marveled he could even stand up. 

“Poe Dameron!” Hux declared in a booming voice, throwing up both his hands and spilling the remaining ale that was in his tankard. “Fancy meeting you here!” (Hux was apparently too drunk to notice that Finn, Rey, Ben, and Rose were also standing nearby.)

“This has got to be a joke,” Poe groaned. “Why is everybody looking for me tonight? Can’t a man have a moment’s peace?”

“A moment’s peace…” Hux echoed, the words slurring together as he stumbled forward, clapping a hand on Poe’s shoulder. “Well, let me tell you, Poe — I haven’t had a moment’s peace since I saw your ship on the horizon and decided to let you go. 

“I thought I was doing something good that day — showing a little compassion to the man who had saved my best friend’s life. But my father, well, bless his soul, he didn’t see it that way. He dishonorably discharged me from the Royal Navy — me! his own son! — and told me that if he ever saw me again, he’d have me hanged as a traitor!”

“Look, I’m sorry,” Poe said awkwardly, slipping out of Hux’s grip. “Your father is a terrible man. I want to help you, but I don’t think you’re in the right frame of mind for a discussion like this. Why don’t you put down that mug of ale, go outside and get some fresh air—”

“You think I’m drunk, don’t you?” Hux said, attempting to take another swig from the mug and then finding it empty. “Well, yes I bloody am! You’d want to get drunk too if your father disowned you and ripped your whole life away from you. The Royal Navy was supposed to be my career, and one day I’d become an admiral like my father. Now what am I supposed to do?”

Hux was growing increasingly agitated, and Rey could tell this discussion was about to turn into a full-blown fistfight if somebody didn’t intervene. That’s what the onlookers in the tavern were obviously hoping for; a bar brawl in Tortuga was seen as a high form of entertainment, and the other patrons were leaning forward in their chairs, already making bets about who would win.

“Come on, Armitage,” Rose said gently, looping her arm through his. Hux blinked at her in surprise, and for a moment, his eyes cleared, and Rey caught a glimpse of the soul-crushing sadness welling up inside him, which he’d tried to drown out with too many tankards of ale. 

Hux pointed a finger at Poe accusingly. “I challenge you to a duel, Captain Dameron! You ruined my life, and took away my honor.”

“I’m not dueling you, Hux!” Poe fired back. “It wouldn’t even be a fair fight, since you’re so bloody drunk.”

“I can still defend my honor!” Hux spluttered, but as he attempted to draw his sword, he faltered and then abruptly passed out cold on the floor. 

There were a few murmurs of disappointment from the crowd of observers, as they realized no fight would be happening tonight and went back to their drinks. 

“Here, let’s get him outside,” Poe said with a sigh, helping Rose and Finn lift the former commodore off the floor. “Splash some water on his face and see if you can sober him up. With any luck, he won’t remember any of this when he wakes up again.”

“I’ll sit with him,” Rose volunteered, and Poe nodded. 

“Thank you, Rose. And also, thank you for being the ONLY person here tonight who didn’t come to demand something from me.”

Ben started to object, but Poe held up a hand. 

“Save it — please. Before we start sorting out this giant mess, I need a drink. And you, Benjamin Swann, are buying.”

***

Ben wasn’t sure why Poe was in such a foul mood tonight, and his ill humor was putting everyone else on edge. Not even a mug of rum seemed to take the edge off Poe’s irritation.

He made them all sit at the back of the tavern, away from prying ears and eyes (well, as far away as it was possible to get in a public space, at least), and then he rather grumpily ordered Rey and Ben to tell him the complete story of how they both got here and why they needed his help. 

Rey went first, squeezing Ben’s hand under the table as she got to the difficult parts of her story. Ben found himself at different times both impressed with and furious at his uncle for the part he’d played in this tale. On the one hand, he’d pulled off an incredibly gutsy rescue from the prison, and he’d probably saved Rey’s life. However, Ben didn’t like that the only choice his uncle had offered Rey was to disappear from Port Royal — and Luke and Ben’s lives — forever. 

Ben refused to believe that was the only solution to their problem; there had to be another way...didn’t there? Or was he just being selfish, wanting to hold onto Rey when she would be safer without him…

“Ben — you’re next,” Poe said bluntly, and Ben’s attention snapped back to the current conversation. He’d have to grapple with those uncomfortable questions about his future at another time. He launched into his own story, and as he went, he couldn’t help noticing that Poe’s temper was simmering hotter and hotter. 

He’d known Poe wouldn’t love the idea of trading away his compass, but Ben had thought (perhaps naively) that Poe would at least be willing to have a discussion about it. Yet as Ben described the circumstances that had led to his deal with Admiral Brendol Hux, Ben could see Poe’s fists clenching ever so slightly as they rested on the table. Maybe no matter how much Ben pleaded, Poe would refuse to surrender the compass under ANY circumstances. And then where would that leave them?

Ben’s suspicions were confirmed when, as soon as he finished his tale, Poe looked him in the eyes and declared, “Well, that’s never going to happen. This compass is not leaving my hands, EVER. And even if it was, it wouldn’t be going to bloody Admiral Brendol Hux.”

“What if there’s some compromise we can…” Finn started, but Poe wasn’t having it. 

“I told you, Finn — I’m gonna need this compass to fulfill the debt I owe to Mother Talzin. And if you think I would be furious if Ben gave this compass to the Admiral, well, you definitely wouldn’t want to see Mother Talzin’s reaction.”

“All right then,” Ben replied, his own temper flaring in response to Poe’s belligerent refusal. “Maybe it’s time to stop with all the vague hinting, and tell us exactly what your deal with Mother Talzin involves. You made Rey and I tell our stories — it’s your turn, Poe.”

Poe hesitated, but he’d been backed into a corner now. He knew Ben was right — it was time for all of them to come clean.

“Years ago, when I heard the _Sea Falcon_ had sunk, I was pretty desperate,” Poe said. “I’d heard of Mother Talzin and her magic, and while I was scared of her power, I knew she was the only one who could help me. I told her I’d do anything for her — anything at all — if she could save the _Sea Falcon_ for me.” (Ben realized he’d used similar words when trying to bargain with the Admiral; even if he was still irritated at Poe, he could relate to that kind of desperation.)

“Mother Talzin agreed to help me,” Poe continued. “She told me she wouldn’t even make me pay the debt right then. At some point in the future, a magic ‘black spot’ would show up on my hand and then I’d know it was time for me to pay her back.”

“Pay her back with what?” Ben insisted. “You keep dancing around that. Why are you running from Mother Talzin now? Why not just settle your debt and get it over with?”

“Because I don’t fully know what my debt entails,” Poe admitted, and Ben could see that despite Poe’s air of bravado, he was afraid. 

“Mother Talzin told me that one day, she’d need me to find a chest and dig it up,” Poe said. “She wouldn’t tell me where it was right then, and said I didn’t need to know until it was time. She said maybe I’d go my whole life and never need to do it, and I could die in peace as captain of the _Sea Falcon_. She gave me the magic compass and told me that it would help me fulfill my quest, but in the meantime, I could use it for my own purposes.”

“Digging up a chest doesn’t sound so bad,” Rey said, apparently trying to offer some comfort, but Poe shook his head. 

“No, it doesn’t. Not at first. But Mother Talzin never makes an easy bargain. There’s more to the story she’s not telling me. There has to be some reason she can’t go get this chest herself.”

“It’s not some random treasure chest, either, which is what I thought at first,” Finn added solemnly. “Poe said that if it was merely a treasure chest, she would have said so. Something else is in that box...and we might not want to know what it is.”

Everyone sitting around the table fell silent, and though technically nothing had changed about the ambiance of the tavern — people were still laughing and singing, and the cozy fire was still blazing in the hearth — some of the warmth had left the room. 

“So you see why asking for my help right now is a bit awkward?” Poe finally said, looking at Rey and Ben. “You both are my friends, and in other circumstances, sure, I’d help you. You helped me get the _Sea Falcon_ back and get rid of Snoke, after all. But before I can do anything, I have to figure out how to solve this mess with Mother Talzin, and I might not be the safest person to be hanging around with right now.”

Rey tapped her fingers on the table, and Ben could tell she was working on a plan. Everyone watched her until she finally spoke. 

“What if we helped you first, then?” Rey asked. “We’ll go with you to meet Mother Talzin. Get more information about the chest, and why she needs it. We’ll help you dig up the chest, clear your debt, and then we can deal with the Admiral.”

_And talk about the compass,_ Ben thought, but wisely decided not to mention that. Maybe Poe would be in a more generous mood without a black spot festering on his palm. 

“Go to Mother Talzin?” Poe scoffed. “No way, I’m planning to run as long as I can. I’ve been to her swamp once and watched her dark magic at work. If you’d seen what I saw, you’d be reluctant to go back there too. I think—”

Poe never got a chance to finish. Because at that moment, the door to the tavern burst open, and everyone turned and looked at the young man who’d just barged through the door. 

He looked bloody awful — his dark hair was matted and stringy, and both his eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept in days. 

“Can I help you?” The barmaid who’d originally flirted with Ben hesitantly approached the young man who’d just walked in. “Are you all right?”

The young man didn’t even seem to hear her. Instead, he looked wildly around the tavern and asked, “Have you ever heard the legend of Davy Jones?”

***

Rose gently splashed water onto Armitage Hux’s face, her heart breaking as she imagined all that the young man had experienced in the past few days and weeks. 

Although Poe wasn’t directly responsible for Hux’s suffering, Rose could see why the former commodore’s anger was directed that way. Hux had done the right thing by letting Poe go, and Rose would reassure Hux of that as soon as he woke up. Yet his father had made him pay dearly for that choice, and he’d lost everything he ever wanted. 

“I’m so sorry, Armitage,” Rose whispered, brushing a strand of Hux’s red hair out of his face. “You don’t deserve any of this. Your father is the one who made a mistake by driving you away. You’re more worthy of being an admiral than he ever was—”

Hux suddenly coughed and tried to sit up, then moaned and clutched his head as a wave of nausea apparently washed over him. 

“Shhh, don’t try to move too much,” Rose soothed him, stroking his hair. “You’ve had quite a lot to drink, and I’m afraid if you stand up you’ll just pass out again.”

“I’ve made a bloody fool of myself, haven’t I?” Hux mumbled, his green eyes so full of shame that Rose’s heart broke for him all over again.

“Oh, this is Tortuga — I’m sure everyone in that tavern has seen much worse,” she said gently, and that finally wrested a little smile from Hux. 

“You’re too kind to me, Miss Tico,” he said, and her heart fluttered a little as he said her name. She tried not to imagine how much more her heart would flutter if he’d actually called her “Rose.”

“You deserve a little kindness tonight,” Rose said, cupping her hand against his cheek. She realized she was probably being too intimate with him right now (this certainly wouldn’t be proper behavior back in Port Royal). Yet right now, Hux needed someone to show him a little tenderness, and Rose decided that at least for now, propriety could be chucked out the window. 

“You should be in there, having a good time with your friends,” Hux told her, and Rose merely smiled. Now probably wasn’t the best time to break it to Hux that what her friends were actually doing was getting into a big argument. She probably wasn’t missing anything at all. 

“I’m right where I want to be,” Rose assured him. “I’m not going to leave until you feel better.”

“Miss Tico, I…” Hux’s voice trailed off, and he reached up and gently brushed his fingers against the side of her face as she held his head in her lap. Rose’s heart was thundering, and she prayed Hux couldn’t feel it. 

“Sometimes I feel like you’re the only person who sees me,” he said. “I mean, truly sees me. Whenever you look at me, you’re not judging me, or wanting anything from me. I feel like you want to get to know me for who I really am.”

“I DO see you,” Rose said, and Hux laughed bitterly. 

“I wish you didn’t have to see me like this — the disgraced bastard son of an admiral, still wearing his filthy Royal Navy uniform because taking it off means he’s finally and truly accepted his failure.”

“No.” Rose’s voice wavered with emotion. “What I see is a kind, brave, and honorable young man who is willing to do the right thing, even when it costs him. Being a man of honor is worth far more than being an admiral.”

Hux squeezed his eyes shut, and Rose could see a single tear sliding down his cheek. 

“Rose, I know we haven’t talked much in the past, and I apologize if you ever thought I was ignoring you,” Hux said. _Rose — he’d actually called her Rose!_ “Because I saw you too — I always saw you. I was just afraid to—”

“Rose! Hux!” 

Startled, Rose very reluctantly tore her gaze away from Hux and saw Poe Dameron running towards her like a man possessed, followed closely by Finn, Rey, and Ben. 

“Hux, can you walk?” Poe asked brusquely. “If not, I’ll help carry you. We need to leave NOW.”

“I never consented to come with you,” Hux muttered, his antagonistic façade returning. 

“Fine — you can stay here if you want, but we’re leaving,” Poe said. “Something’s happened, and I’ve got to see Mother Talzin.” 

“I thought you said you were running from her?” Rose asked in confusion, and Poe shook his head. 

“There’s been...well...a development. Some deranged man just ran into the tavern and told me the craziest story I’ve ever heard. I think I figured out why Mother Talzin is so worried, and why she’s called in my debt. Turns out, there might be someone more dangerous than her out there. And he’s coming for all of us.”


	15. The Nightsister Queen

The lifeboat drifted slowly and silently up the river winding through the swamplands, taking them deep into the heart of the bayou. Poe hadn’t announced the name of this island when the _Sea Falcon_ had landed, and Ben hadn’t asked. Maybe it didn’t even have a name. 

Like the Isla de Muerta, this place was not charted on any map, and Poe had only been able to find it using his magic compass. The pirate captain had been strangely tight-lipped on the voyage from Tortuga, and the only time he’d spoken after landing at this island was to gruffly instruct Ben, Rey, Rose, Hux, and Finn to jump into the lifeboat and accompany him to shore. 

Although Ben wasn’t sure what to expect when they finally met Mother Talzin, he had a feeling the general ambiance of the island had been carefully crafted to give all visitors a sobering sense of respect for the witch queen and her powers. 

This island wasn’t haunted in the same way Isla de Muerta was, but Ben could still detect a hint of supernatural energy humming in the air. This island was alive in a way that was almost sentient; the murky river propelled them forward without a need for oars, and the water lapped up against the riverbanks in the exact same rhythm as Ben’s current heartbeat. Coincidence? Probably — but still more than a little disconcerting. 

They’d landed on the island in the middle of the afternoon, with the sun burning high above them. Yet as soon as they plunged into the swamp, the sunlight dimmed to a dusky gloom. The ancient, gnarled trees crowded out the sky, and the light inside the swamp was colored a hazy green. Wispy vines and tendrils of moss hung from the trees above them, occasionally brushing up against their faces as they sailed under low-hanging branches. 

Ben could see tiny yellow lights flickering in the distance, and while he thought they were fireflies, at this point he also would have believed they were pixies. His capacity for believing in magic had expanded greatly after watching pirates transform into ghost skeletons in the moonlight.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed as they floated down the river, and he suspected that maybe time in the traditional sense didn’t matter here anyway. This was a place outside the normal laws of nature, and he had a feeling they’d arrive at Mother Talzin’s shack precisely when she wanted them to. 

“This place is rather unnerving,” Hux remarked quietly as their boat rounded a bend in the river and they sailed through a sheet of vines. 

“You think?” Poe replied, his voice filled with sarcasm. “This is the realm of a Nightsister queen. It’s not meant to be a magical paradise.”

Rose started to reach out to run her hand through a bed of red flowers growing on the side of the river, but Poe immediately grabbed her wrist and yanked it back. 

“I don’t know what that is, but I definitely saw that on Mother Talzin’s shelf of ingredients for potions,” he said. “In fact, it’s probably better not to touch anything here. You don’t know what — or who — you might end up bringing back with you.”

Ben couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started, because at first the noise blended so well with the croaking bullfrogs hidden in the plants along the riverbank. But soon he was able to pick out the sound of women chanting. It was different from the pirates chanting before the blood ritual on Isla de Muerta, but this was equally as powerful...and disconcerting. The women’s ethereal voices blended together in a language Ben couldn’t understand, and the vines above them began to sway in time with the strange music. 

Ben felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to start humming along, but he had a feeling that to do so would be unwise. And so instead he sat, jaw clenched tightly as he squeezed Rey’s hand, until finally they sailed into a clearing in the swamp and at last spotted Mother Talzin’s shack. 

Mother Talzin’s shack floated several feet above the water, held aloft by rickety wooden stilts that looked as if they could collapse at any moment. The roof of the house was thatched with leaves gathered from the nearby jungle trees, and there were many gaps between the wooden boards of the shack, allowing an eerie green mist to seep through. (Ben couldn’t tell whether the mist was floating into the shack from the swamp, or the other way around.) He could also see dozens of beady green eyes peeking out at him from the shadows surrounding the house. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what kind of creatures were watching them.

Their lifeboat stopped in front of the shack’s decrepit front porch, and Poe jumped out and then reached down to help Finn out of the boat after him.

“Should we announce we’re coming?” Hux asked, clearly ill at ease, and Poe laughed bitterly. 

“No need. She already knows.”

As if in response, the shack’s moss-covered door creaked open on its rusty hinges, and a gravelly voice from within the shack beckoned, “Come in, Poe Dameron! I’m so glad you’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting.” The invitation was benign enough, but Ben could still hear the threat woven through those words. 

“Now, this is gonna be a weird experience,” Poe warned before they went in, his voice quiet even though Ben imagined that Mother Talzin could use her powers to overhear them no matter how subtle they tried to be. “Mother Talzin is an...unusual person. She loves to toy with you, and you may see and hear a lot of crazy things inside her house. Just try to keep your mouths shut as much as possible, and do NOT make her angry.” 

With those not-so-comforting words, they all stepped into the shack, Poe leading the way. Immediately, Ben found himself gaping as he tried to take everything in. He’d seen a Nightsister’s home before, when Poe had taken him to visit Lady V, but he could tell right away that this was a far more dangerous place. Every inch of the wall was covered haphazardly with shelves, and each shelf was piled high with jars filled with the strange ingredients Mother Talzin used to make all of her potions. Some of the jars were dusty, as if they hadn’t been touched in years, while others had lids that were worn from regular use. Ben tried not to guess what ingredients were in some of the stranger looking vials, especially as he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a jar full of eyeballs. 

In the center of the shack sat a woman wearing blood red robes, with a headdress that curved in strange spirals above her head. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of a circle of candles with her eyes closed, her lips murmuring silently as she waved her hand over a cauldron. The cauldron contained a bubbling green liquid that appeared to be producing the green mist Ben had seen earlier. 

“Mother Talzin, I—” Poe started, but the Nightsister queen silenced him with a flick of her wrist, the words dying in Poe’s mouth. Ben wasn’t sure if she’d used magic to stop him from speaking, or if she’d simply scared him into silence. 

The Nightsister reached for one of the vials next to her and dumped it into the cauldron with a flourish. For just a second, the liquid in the cauldron turned the same blood red shade as the witch’s robes, and Ben thought he saw an image of a person peering out at him from the cauldron. But then there was a puff of smoke, and the liquid returned to its bubbling green state. 

“We shouldn’t be here,” Hux muttered, but before he could turn and leave, Poe grabbed him by the arm and hissed at him to stay right where he was. Ben guessed that once they were inside the shack, they wouldn’t be able to leave until Mother Talzin allowed them to do so. And it probably wasn’t wise to test her. 

“Welcome, Poe Dameron and...guests.” Mother Talzin’s eyelids snapped open, and Ben was struck by how piercing her pale, silvery blue eyes were. There were many lifetimes of wisdom contained within those eyes...and also ages of a cold, festering malice. Mother Talzin was not a woman to make an enemy of. 

“Mother Talzin — it’s good to see you.” Poe gave her a quick little bow, and Ben was surprised as Mother Talzin rolled her eyes and waved at him to stop. 

“I didn’t bring you here to fawn over me,” she said bluntly. “We both know you don’t actually want to be here.”

Poe allowed himself a nervous chuckle. “Well, you always were perceptive. Sorry it took me so long to...uh...show up.”

Mother Talzin gave him an admonishing look. “Oh, I expected you to run, Poe. Honestly, I’m quite surprised you came as soon as you did, and with so many ‘friends’ accompanying you.” She glanced around the room, a sly smile spreading across her lips. “Though perhaps calling some of these people ‘friends’ is a bit of a stretch.”

“I’m proud to be Captain Dameron’s first mate, and his friend,” Finn declared, stepping in front of Poe and squaring his shoulders. Finn could give Poe as much sass as Poe gave him, but he was protective of Poe when he needed to be. 

Mother Talzin kept smiling. “Of course you are. You’re the person here he trusts the most, and wisely so. Poe, I’d watch your back with the rest of these people, if I were you.” Ben couldn’t fail to notice that Mother Talzin was looking right at him when she said that, and the sudden attention made him shift uncomfortably. 

“You have quite a crew here,” Mother Talzin went on. “A disgraced Royal Navy officer who’s struggling to keep hold of what little honor he still has; a blacksmith who is trying to pretend she’s not a pirate; and a baker’s daughter who feels like she has to hide her true desires. And then, we have YOU.” She turned her transfixing gaze back to Ben, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t look away. “You have a touch of destiny about you, Benjamin Swann. Your future is...strangely murky. Perhaps what is to be, has not yet been determined. ”

_How the hell does she know my name?_ Ben took a step back, and Mother Talzin seemed amused by his discomfort. Poe was right: she definitely liked putting people off balance, and he hated himself for giving her exactly what she wanted. 

“We didn’t come here to get our fortunes told,” Poe said, daring to be a little more confrontational. “I want to find out how to get this damned black spot off my palm, and I want to know what all this has to do with the legend of Davy Jones.”

The teasing light vanished from Mother Talzin’s eyes, replaced by something colder, and more suspicious. “So instead of having your fortune told, you want to hear a fairy tale,” she said sharply, but Poe wasn’t backing down now. 

“When I was hiding from you on Tortuga, some raving man barged into the tavern and told this wild tale about the return of Davy Jones, the ‘devil of the seas.’ Now, I was always under the impression that Davy Jones was just an old sailors’ story, but there was something oddly believable about everything this poor young man was saying. And I got to thinking, what a coincidence that my black spot shows up, indicating Mother Talzin needs help, right as the legendary Davy Jones has returned. So yes, Mother Talzin, I’m here to finally fulfill my debt, but I want all the information first. And I do mean ALL of it.”

“That’s a bold demand to make, Captain Dameron,” Mother Talzin said, frowning. “Luckily for you, I’ve always found your boldness endearing. I will tell you the complete story, though I doubt it will make your task any easier. 

“Davy Jones is more than just a legend — I suppose there’s no point in denying it. I have known him for many years beyond the span of a mortal lifetime. He was once a great ruler of an expansive empire, but one lifetime of power was not enough for him. He made a deal with me — I would give him immortality, and in return he would surrender his most valuable possession: his heart.”

“Wait a minute,” Poe said. “You wanted him to fall in love with you? Is this the mysterious lover who gave you that chest of coins you later cursed because—”

“Do not interrupt,” Mother Talzin snapped. “Davy Jones did not always appear as that young man must have described him to you, with an unearthly face full of tentacles. He was a human once, and though I do not think he was ever capable of so noble an emotion as love, he was infatuated with me. He said in exchange for me granting him immortality, he would love me forever and never look at another. I was flattered, of course, but I needed him to prove it. I asked him to give me his heart...both metaphorically and literally.”

Ben felt a queasy churning in his stomach as he realized what Mother Talzin was explaining. He knew now was probably not the best time to ask questions, but he couldn’t help himself. 

“You...you mean...you physically ripped his heart out of his chest?” Ben stammered, and he was troubled by the strange, knowing smile Mother Talzin gave him. 

“He was now an immortal creature — he didn’t need it,” the Nightsister said. “I carved out his heart and kept it locked in a chest here in my shack, a reminder to both of us of the bargain we’d struck. And for a time, we were both satisfied with the terms of our deal. 

“Eternity is a long time, and I felt my ‘Davy Jones’ needed meaningful work to keep him out of trouble. So I made him shepherd of the underworld, and it was his job to guide the souls of the dead on their journey through the World Between Worlds and into the afterlife.” 

“The world between what?” Ben knew he was asking far too many questions, and he could see Poe glaring at him. However, at least for now, Mother Talzin didn’t seem to mind his curiosity.

“May I see your compass, Poe?” the witch asked, and he obediently handed it to her, even though he seemed a little reluctant to do so. 

Mother Talzin turned the compass over, revealing an image embossed in silver. This was the same artwork depicted on the cursed coins in the chest hidden on Isla de Muerta. 

“The World Between Worlds is a mysterious realm outside of space and time,” Mother Talzin said. “It is where the Nightsisters draw their magical powers from, and is a land of in-between where mortals go immediately after they die. It is watched over by the three beings you see depicted here on this compass — Father, Daughter, and Son.” 

Poe shifted impatiently, and Ben could tell he was getting bored of this side story. “I’m sure this is important mythology,” Poe said, “but it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense to me. Can we get back to Davy Jones?”

“Very well,” Mother Talzin conceded, and Ben felt a strange sense of disappointment tightening in his chest. Maybe it didn’t really relate to their reason for being here, but he was intrigued by this World Between Worlds and its three mythical guardians. Why were they called “Father, Daughter, and Son”? Was there a mother, and if so, where was she? Was it just a coincidence that the Nightsister queen seated in front of them was called _Mother_ Talzin?

Yet that would have to be another story for another time, because Mother Talzin was already moving on. 

“Davy Jones brought me back a gift: a chest filled with treasure from the World Between Worlds,” Mother Talzin said. “I thought it was proof of his devotion to me. But really, it was just his own greed, because he wanted to one day claim that treasure for himself. 

“I should have foreseen his betrayal, but I allowed my judgement to be clouded by sentiment,” Mother Talzin said bitterly, and that was probably the closest she’d ever come to admitting that she’d actually cared for Davy Jones in some fashion. “He stole back his heart and hid it from me, so that I could no longer use it to control his actions. He forsake the duty I gave to him and allowed poor lost souls to drift helplessly through the World Between Worlds, unable to find the afterlife and enter their eternal peace.

“When I finally captured him, my judgement was as harsh as the wrath I felt regarding his betrayal. I cursed the treasure he gave me and trapped him — for what I thought was forever — on Isla de Muerta. I thought I had constructed the perfect prison for him, but magic is complicated: particularly magic designed to trap an immortal being like Davy Jones. I did not realize that when you all broke the curse, Davy Jones would be released.”

“Wait, you’re blaming me for this?” Poe exclaimed. “Look, I was just trying to stop Snoke. I had no idea I was messing with some complicated magical prison you’d constructed, or—”

“This time, I do not blame you,” Mother Talzin admitted, in what Ben had a feeling was a rare display of humility. “I did my best to trap him for all of time, but even my powers have their limits. Now that he has been freed from his prison, I must find a way to stop him before he destroys the world. He has already summoned his ‘pet’ from the deep, and the seas will soon become too dangerous to sail for the Royal Navy and pirates alike.”

She turned back to Poe, handing him the magical compass. “So you see, even if you decide to run away from the task I’ve given you, your beloved _Sea Falcon_ will not be safe. It is in both our best interests for you to complete this quest as soon as possible. 

“You can use the compass to find the place where Davy Jones has hidden the chest containing his heart. I cannot go after the chest myself, because he has enchanted it with a powerful spell that renders me unable to ever find it or touch it. However, once you’ve located the chest and returned it to my shack, I will be able to use the heart to control Davy Jones again. You see, the heart is his one remaining weakness: stab the heart, and Davy Jones will become mortal again. His powers will fade, and he will dissolve into dust.”

“Well.” It took Poe a good long while to decide what to say next. “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t tell me this whole story when I first made a deal with you, because I probably wouldn’t have accepted your offer.”

Mother Talzin smirked. “Are you so sure? You were desperate to be captain of the _Sea Falcon_. I think you would have made any sort of deal with me, no matter what the terms were. Anyhow, discussing these ‘what ifs’ is a waste of my time. We made a deal, and now you must find the chest. Will you consent to follow this path, or am I going to have to waste even more of my time to chase you down?”

Poe pocketed the compass and nodded stiffly at Mother Talzin. “I don’t want to do it...but I will do it. After I bring you that bloody chest, will you promise to leave me alone?”

“Our bargain will be complete,” Mother Talzin said, though Ben noticed that her carefully-worded reply didn’t necessarily guarantee Mother Talzin would “leave them alone” for good.

“You should journey to the chest as soon as possible,” Mother Talzin instructed them. “Davy Jones will be waiting for me to strike a blow against him. And do not underestimate your other enemies back in Port Royal. Admiral Brendol Hux may not have supernatural powers, but he is still a dangerous foe. Don’t let him get ahold of that compass, or find out that the heart can be used to control Davy Jones. He would covet that power for himself.”

_Don’t let him get ahold of that compass…_ Ben felt a stab of dismay as he heard those words. He wasn’t foolish enough to ask how Mother Talzin knew all that information; he’d learned by now that the witch queen simply knew things, and that was that. If she said the Admiral shouldn’t have the compass, then it would be dangerous to give him the compass. Yet if Ben didn’t give him that compass, the Admiral wouldn’t give him the pardon for Rey. And that was the most important thing in the world to Ben right now. 

Mother Talzin snapped her fingers, and Poe abruptly winced. The pirate captain looked down and opened his palm, and they could all see that the black spot had disappeared from his hand. 

“I’ll remove my brand from you...for now,” Mother Talzin said. “But it will return if you decide to stray from the path I’ve given you. Just remember that there is nowhere you can go on this earth where I cannot eventually find you.”

Poe sighed. “Believe me, I know.”

“And one more thing, before you go,” Mother Talzin added. “I am planning to send one of my harbingers with you, to help you on your quest.”

“I do NOT need help from a harbinger,” Poe tried to argue, but Mother Talzin had no interest in his protests. 

“My harbinger is already on board the _Sea Falcon_ , waiting for you. She will help me keep an eye on you, and make sure you don’t do anything I wouldn’t approve of.”

“Look, I’ll get your damn chest, and I won’t cause you any trouble,” Poe promised. “I’m ready to be done with this as much as you are.”

Seeming satisfied with that, Mother Talzin dismissed them all with a wave of her hand. Yet before they left, Ben couldn’t help turning his head to catch one last glimpse of the witch’s strange shack. He inadvertently locked eyes with Mother Talzin, and she gave him a chilling smile that made him feel as if her long, cold nails had slid through his skin and were grasping at his heart. 

_A touch of destiny…_ she mouthed, and Ben jerked his gaze away from her, hurrying out of the shack as quickly as he could. He didn’t like that she seemed to know something about his future, and he definitely didn’t like the warning she’d given that now basically guaranteed Poe would never agree to trade the compass for Rey’s freedom. 

“It will be all right, Ben,” Rey whispered softly to him, sliding her hand into his as they sat in the lifeboat, traveling back through the bayou to the beach where the _Sea Falcon_ was waiting for them. “We’ll get this chest, then we can fix the other problems we’re facing. We’ll find a way to get our happily ever after.”

Ben wished he shared Rey’s confidence, but he also couldn’t bear to voice his doubts. So he simply squeezed her hand back and stared ahead in silence as they sailed through the swamp. 

***

Rey didn’t know what to think of Mother Talzin, and of everything they’d seen and heard in the Nightsister’s shack. She eventually decided it was probably better not to think of the witch at all. 

There was no point in trying to debate whether the story Mother Talzin had told them about Davy Jones was true. Rey had seen and experienced too much to doubt that such a thing was possible now. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that they’d already defeated a skeleton ghost pirate and his crew — how much worse could Davy Jones be? 

They arrived at the beach at sunset, the sky painting the ocean waves a deep reddish-orange. It might have been beautiful if they’d been anywhere else; so close to Mother Talzin’s domain, the red sky and seas just looked foreboding. 

“How did it go, Cap’n?” Snap asked a little too enthusiastically as they boarded the _Sea Falcon_ , and Poe responded with a glare.

“Have you seen anyone, Snap?” he asked, and the ship’s cook looked confused. 

“Besides you, Cap’n? Nope, it’s been a quiet day, and we haven’t seen a single soul besides our own crew. I’m not sure why you lot look so spooked right now; this place seems rather boring and—”

“Looking for me, Poe?” 

A woman’s voice interrupted Snap, and Rey heard the sloshing sound of wet, heavy boots on the deck. 

“Oh wonderful — the harbinger Mother Talzin promised,” Poe said sarcastically. 

Rey wasn’t really sure what a harbinger was, and at the moment, she didn’t really care. Because right now, all she could focus on was the very disconcerting sensation of facing a woman who bore her exact likeness...or at least, what she would look like years in the future. 

The woman seemed to notice Rey the exact same moment Rey noticed her, and the other woman’s eyes filled with a look of profound guilt and dread. 

“Kira Turner.” The words felt painful as they escaped from Rey’s lips; she couldn’t bear to give this woman the title of “mother.” After hearing the true story of what her mother was — and what she had done — from Poe and from Snoke, she’d never wanted to see this woman again. 

“Rey, I…” Kira seemed not quite certain what to do with herself. “I’m sorry it had to be me who Mother Talzin sent. I knew you wouldn’t want to see me—”

“And you’d be right,” Rey snapped. She could see Finn flinching at the coldness in her words, but she felt that her mother deserved it. “Poe was right — we don’t need a ‘harbinger,’ whatever that is. We can get the chest on our own.”

“There’s no arguing with Mother Talzin,” Kira said in a weary voice, and Rey knew she was right. But that still didn’t mean she had to accept this without resistance. She hated that Mother Talzin had done this to her; she was certain the Nightsister queen had sent them Kira Turner on purpose, just because it would complicate matters. Mother Talzin appeared to have a very cruel sense of humor. 

Kira looked at Ben, who was standing in front of Rey protectively, and her eyes widened. 

“Is this Benjamin Swann, then...the man you were going to marry?” Kira asked her daughter. She looked almost emotional, which would have been a normal response from a parent recognizing how much their child had grown up. However, Kira Turner had most certainly not earned the right to feel that kind of connection to Rey. 

“Yes,” Rey said. “And every moment we waste standing here talking keeps us from finding the chest sooner, stopping Admiral Brendol Hux, and returning to Port Royal so I can marry this man.”

“Agreed,” Poe said, obviously just as eager to move past this awkwardness as everyone else. “Let’s raise the anchor and hoist the sails! Wedge, get to the helm and guide us out of here.”

“Rey, I’m sorry, I…” Kira tried to start again, but Rey would have none of it. Whatever this woman wanted to say, it would be too little, too late. Rey would tolerate her help on this mission, because it was what Mother Talzin demanded. But she would not acknowledge this woman as her mother. 


	16. The Cage We Choose

Rey wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to the island where Davy Jones’ heart was buried, but she prayed it would be a quick journey. The _Sea Falcon_ was a sizable ship, but quarters were still tight, and it was all too easy to inadvertently run into her mother. 

Poe had explained to her by now what harbingers were, and how they had bound themselves in service to Mother Talzin in exchange for a favor. He also told her the longer the harbingers served, the more they merged with the sea itself — which explained why Kira Turner’s arms were covered with barnacles and her hair was always dripping wet. 

Rey wondered if she should feel pity for her mother’s fate; how terrible it must be to live a life of solitary servitude, slowly losing more and more of your humanity. Yet Rey couldn’t seem to force herself to feel anything for her mother but apathy or anger. Kira had tossed her daughter aside as a child, and she couldn’t expect them to form an instant bond just because she was feeling a little regret. 

So far, Rey had done a fairly successful job of avoiding her mother on board the _Sea Falcon_ , but one night as she was standing watch on the deck, Kira managed to corner her. 

As of yet, there had been no sign of Davy Jones attempting to interfere with their plans, but Poe wanted to have at least one crew member keeping watch on deck at all hours. Although Davy Jones didn’t have the same powers of omniscience as Mother Talzin, Poe still feared the man might be able to use what magic he did have to track them down. 

Rey took a shift after dinner, and watched as the sun sank beneath the horizon. She always liked looking up at the stars while she was at sea; she loved the way the sky blended with the ocean, so it appeared as if you were sailing through the stars’ reflections. It was also a nice opportunity to daydream about Ben; they didn’t get a lot of privacy on the _Sea Falcon_ , but they’d stolen a few kisses after dinner, before Poe and Hux interrupted them with an argument. Ben had rolled his eyes, but Rey had giggled, finding a much-needed moment of levity. She almost felt like Poe and Hux enjoyed arguing with each other. She’d never seen two people who were such opposites, and they disagreed on just about every topic that—

“I see you also love to stargaze.”

Rey heard the voice behind her and immediately stiffened. She refused to turn around, and instead gripped the railing of the ship, wondering if she ignored her mother’s comment, Kira might disappear back into the darkness. 

“It’s my favorite part of being at sea,” Kira said, stepping forward and leaning against the railing next to Rey. “It makes me wonder where the universe starts and ends, and if it just goes on and on forever. I always wish the ship I’m travelling on could sprout wings and fly up there to explore.”

Rey actually had that exact same thought earlier this evening as she was keeping watch, but she wasn’t about to admit it. She continued to stare ahead rigidly, hoping that eventually her aloofness would drive Kira away. 

Yet Kira was oddly persistent tonight, as if there was something she felt she needed to say, whether or not Rey wanted to hear it. 

“I know you’re angry with me,” Kira said softly, giving up on her attempts to make smalltalk. “I understand, and I don’t blame you. But I want you to know that I am sorry for all the ways I’ve hurt you. I’m sure growing up wasn’t easy.”

“Wasn’t easy?” Rey’s determination to stay silent broke, as her mother’s words drove too deeply into her heart. “Believe me, you have no idea just how hard it was. My own mother decided she didn’t care enough about me to stick around and raise me. After my father died, I had to grow up all alone in a strange place. If it wasn’t for Rose and her family’s kindness, and Ben also looking out for me, who knows what would have happened.”

Kira glanced away, her eyes filled with pain and guilt. Rey blinked, trying to stop herself from crying; she didn’t want her mother to see her vulnerable like this. 

“I know. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I...I just felt you needed to hear that I was sorry,” Kira said. “That I regret the decisions I made. I loved your father, and I loved you. It just…”

“We weren’t enough.” Rey could no longer control the streaks of tears running down her cheeks. “We weren’t enough to make you stay.”

“It was...complicated.” Kira was choosing her words delicately, because she knew that Rey wasn’t in the mood to hear her try to defend herself. “I craved freedom, and society didn’t offer that to a proper lady. At first I was just going to be gone for a little while — a sea voyage or two, just to get a taste of adventure. But I felt so guilty for leaving, and it was hard to go back and face your father. So the months became years and I just...stayed away.”

Rey wondered if her mother found it cathartic to make this confession; for Rey, it just made the pain of her mother’s abandonment even worse. 

“You could have still come back — he would have forgiven you,” Rey said. “He loved you. I could see it in his eyes every time he talked about you.”

“The same way you love Ben?” Kira asked, and before she could stop herself, Rey was nodding. She still didn’t want to be part of this conversation, but she couldn’t seem to escape it now. 

“He seems to be a good man,” Kira continued. “I just want you to be...well...careful. I know you’ve been secretly working as a blacksmith, and you too find the rules of society to be constricting. I don’t want you to end up feeling trapped by marrying a nobleman like the governor’s nephew.”

“I am not trapped,” Rey shot back, her temper spiking again. “I love Ben, with all my heart. Marrying him is what I want more than anything else in the whole world. It’s MY choice.”

“But a cage we choose is still a cage,” Kira said gently. “Ben is a good man, I can see that. But society can be so oppressive to a young woman who likes to speak her mind and think for herself. You will not feel at home in the circles Ben moves in. His uncle will pressure you to be a ‘proper lady.’ Maybe you’d be happier choosing the pirate’s life from the very beginning. I hear that it suits you.”

Rey could grudgingly acknowledge that deep down, her mother probably meant well. Kira Turner had messed up her own life, and she was trying to keep Rey from doing the same. But Kira would NOT drive a wedge between Rey and Ben.

Rey knew that marrying the governor’s nephew would come with challenges. And yes, she often did feel restricted by society. But her love for Ben ran deeper than that, and he would never make her feel trapped. Rey would not make the same mistakes her parents made; she and Ben would use their struggles to bring them closer together, not drive them farther apart. 

“I don’t think you’re in a position to lecture me about cages,” Rey finally said. “You chose to align yourself with Captain James Snoke, committing mutiny against Poe, who actually does happen to be a good pirate AND a good man. Then you made a deal with Mother Talzin and have now chosen to live as a harbinger. Neither of those cages sound like an improvement to me.”

“Rey, I’m sorry — I was only trying to…” Kira’s voice trailed off, as they heard the sound of footsteps on the deck behind them. Finn had apparently heard them arguing, and he’d quickly picked up on the distress in Rey’s voice. 

“Is everything all right?” he asked, placing a hand on Rey’s shoulder and looking at her in concern.

_No._ Rey blinked the tears out of her eyes. Thankfully, she didn’t have to explain all that to Finn. 

“Why don’t I take the rest of your shift, standing watch,” he told Rey. “Kira, will you help me?”

Rey squeezed Finn’s hand in relief. He’d given her an opportunity to exit, while also offering to keep her mother occupied so Kira couldn’t try to follow Rey. “Thank you — that would be wonderful. Goodnight, Finn.”

She did not say goodbye to her mother, or even acknowledge her by looking at her. Drawing her jacket more tightly around her, Rey fled belowdecks, trying (with a complete lack of success) to push her conversation with her mother out of her mind. 

Although Rey’s mother might wish to heal the wounds of the past, Rey felt as if she’d just driven the painful knife even deeper. 

_We weren’t enough… We weren’t enough… We weren’t enough…_

The words kept running through her mind in an endless loop, like clanging bells that refused to stop ringing and give her peace. Rey realized all she really needed right now was to throw herself into Ben’s arms and bury her face in his chest. She didn’t really want to talk about anything her mother had said to her tonight; she just wanted Ben to hold her, and let his embrace ground her: a port of refuge from the storm of emotions raging inside her. 

Through her tears, she hurried towards his cabin, hoping she wouldn’t encounter anyone else and thereby have to explain why she was so upset. His door was shut, and she knocked softly on it, only to be greeted by silence. She suddenly remembered that earlier he’d made some comment about maybe playing cards with Poe and Rose tonight, and she wondered if he was still in the dining room. 

She knew she could walk down there and politely interrupt the game, and Ben would be more than happy to stop playing and comfort her. Yet she found she didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone else right now, not even friends like Rose or Poe. Maybe she should just wait in Ben’s room for him to come back; at least she could sit alone in the silence, away from her mother. 

Rey pushed open the door and immediately jumped back, mortified, as she realized the room was not empty after all. Ben was apparently just getting ready for bed, and he was currently in the process of unbuttoning his undershirt. 

Their faces went flaming red as they stared at each other awkwardly for what felt like an eternity, both of them embarrassed that Rey had caught him in even a slight stage of undress. 

“Ben, I...I’m so sorry,” Rey stammered, trying to avert her gaze and pretend that she hadn’t been lost for just a moment in admiring his impressive chest muscles. 

“No, I’m sorry,” Ben said, hastily buttoning his shirt again. “You probably knocked, and I didn’t even hear you. I’m a little distracted tonight, just thinking about everything that happened with Mother Talzin. Do you...want to come in?”

Rey knew a proper lady would politely decline, ending the embarrassing episode and pretending it never happened. She should go back to her own cabin and try to get some sleep; it probably wasn’t even proper that she’d tried to come here in the first place. She didn’t even know what time it was. 

However, Rey’s encounter with her mother had left her on edge and unsettled, her emotions still a raw wound. Her head might tell her to use caution and behave with propriety, but her heart was taking the lead tonight. And in her wild, desperate state, she did not want to be alone. 

Rey stepped into the cabin and pushed the door closed behind her, her fingers trembling. She and Ben had been in a room alone together on limited occasions in the past, but this felt different. This was his private cabin, late at night, and there was no chaperone anywhere nearby. 

Ben ran a nervous hand through his hair, trying to act casually but not really succeeding. Rey had a feeling his heart was probably pounding as wildly as hers was right now. 

“I’m surprised to see you down here,” he said. “I thought you were keeping watch up on the deck tonight and…” His voice trailed off as he noticed her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and any awkwardness remaining between them instantly melted away as he reached out to her. 

Rey ran into his arms, laying her head against his chest as he stroked her hair. He didn’t ask her to explain what was wrong, because he could already tell by the look on her face that she didn’t want to talk about it. That was one of the many things Rey loved about him; he was always patient with her, comforting her and meeting her needs on her terms. He was probably curious about what had happened, but he would give her all the time she needed to process her feelings in silence.

“I wish we were already married,” Rey said, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She closed her eyes and simply savored the sensation of being held by him. No matter how on fire the world was around them, being in his arms always felt right.

Ben laughed bitterly. “Admiral Brendol Hux had terrible timing, didn’t he? If only he’d waited a few hours later. Maybe we should have just run away and eloped right after we got back to Port Royal from Isla de Muerta.”

“Your uncle would have killed you,” Rey replied, at last smiling through her tears. Ben tucked his fingers underneath her chin, and lifted it until their eyes met. She could see that he was smiling now too. 

“You’re probably right...but then again, if we’d done that, maybe we’d be relaxing on some beach right now, instead of being stuck in the middle of the ocean trying to find the heart of an immortal man with a face full of tentacles.”

Rey laughed, not because the situation they were in was in any way funny, but because it was all so convoluted and ridiculous that a year ago she’d never have been able to even imagine doing something this crazy. 

“Let’s pretend we’re on that beach, then,” Rey said, sliding her hands up to his neck and cupping his face in her hands. “No meddling uncles, Nightsisters, or immortal tentacle-men in sight.”

“We’d be sharing a plate of fresh fruit, and a bottle of rum,” Ben added, joining in the game. “Not too much rum, of course, because I don’t want a hangover like the one Hux got after we picked him up in Tortuga.”

“And I’m wearing my pink brocade wedding dress,” Rey said, trying not to feel too much of a pang as she remembered the beautiful gown she’d discarded in the jungle near the Port Royal harbor. Maybe one day she’d own a dress that elegant again. “But I’ve kicked off my shoes so I can feel the sand in between my toes.”

“Barefoot, eh?” Ben raised an eyebrow, feigning disapproval. “Very scandalous for a proper lady.”

Rey’s grin turned wicked as she stood up on her tiptoes, reaching up to brush her lips against his. “Who says I’m a proper lady?” she whispered, kissing the very tip of his ear. 

Ben’s face flushed again, and Rey was a little surprised by her own behavior. Normally she wasn’t this saucy when it came to flirtation, but again, thanks to her mother she felt like a different, bolder version of herself tonight. She wanted to completely lose herself in this moment with Ben, and to feel anything but the sting of her mother’s abandonment.

“You...uh…” Ben was losing his ability to speak, fumbling with his words as Rey worked her way down his neck, planting a line of kisses on his skin. 

“I know you’re always a proper gentleman,” Rey said, her voice barely louder than a breath as she placed her hands on his chest and felt his thundering heartbeat. “But I give you permission to be a little less than a proper gentleman tonight.”

Ben didn’t have to be told twice. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, gently and longingly at first, and then with increasing desperation, as if no matter how fast he kissed her, it wasn’t fast enough. She backed herself against the rough wooden door behind her, pulling him along with her.

“I love you, Rey,” he whispered, pausing long enough to look deep into her green-brown eyes, smoothing back the stray wisps of hair that had sprung loose from her bun. Then he was kissing her again, and she found herself jumping into his arms, clinging to his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. No matter how close they were, she needed to be closer. She needed to forget about everything wrong outside the door to this cabin, and pretend that she and Ben were the only people in the world, and that everything would be all right as long as they had—

The ship rocked violently beneath their feet, as if the _Sea Falcon_ had just slammed into an unexpected wave. Ben and Rey lost their footing, Ben crashing onto the floor first and catching Rey so she wouldn’t hit her head. 

“What the devil was that?” Rey gasped, too stunned at the moment to be irritated by the interruption. 

“Not a storm, surely,” Ben said, standing first and then helping Rey to her feet. “The sky was completely clear when—”

The ship rocked again, but this time Ben was more prepared, throwing a hand against the wall and bracing himself with that hand and holding onto Rey with the other. The ship’s hull shook with a deafening blast of thunder overhead, and Rey and Ben heard a piercing shout from the deck above them.

Rey didn’t want to leave Ben’s embrace, but they could both tell that something had gone suddenly, terribly wrong. It seemed impossible that such a dangerous storm could crop up so suddenly; did this mean that some supernatural force was at work?

Ben flung open the door to his cabin and then nearly crashed into Poe in the hallway. 

“Hey, watch out!” Poe cursed, struggling to yank his shirt over his head as he ran by. Apparently Poe had also been caught unawares by the storm as he was preparing for bed. 

“What’s going on?” Ben asked, but Poe kept on running, charging up the stairs to the deck and taking two steps at a time. 

“What do you think it is?” Poe called back down to them as he ran. “Davy Jones is trying to capsize our ship and bury us all at sea! If you want to live, then get yourself on deck and help me save this damn ship!”

Ben scaled the steps leading up to the deck just as quickly as Poe, and Rey followed right behind him. All the warm and cozy feelings from her romantic interlude with Ben had been swept away, replaced by a fear of what was coming for them, and a surge of adrenaline. 

When Rey and Ben stepped onto deck, an icy gust of wind nearly blasted them off their feet. Heavy curtains of rain pelted the deck, turning it as slick as a sheet of ice. The wind lashed at the sails, and Rey feared they’d be ripped clean off. Wedge — the stubborn, seasoned old sailor that he was — remained at the wheel, struggling to maintain control of the ship, which was currently fighting him like a wild animal thrashing in a trap. 

“We’re about to be torn apart, Cap’n!” Wedge shouted above the roaring wind, as lightning flashed across the sky and another burst of thunder shook the ship.

“Yes, I bloody well know that!” Poe shouted back. “Just keep trying to sail straight...at least as much as you can!”

“How long till we reach the island?” Kaydel asked, hanging onto the railing as she waited for Poe’s orders. “Are we getting close to Davy Jones’ chest?”

“I’m sure Mother Talzin could have given me a device that would have helped with that if she wanted to, but unfortunately her bloody compass doesn’t tell me that,” he replied. “Just tells me what direction to head in. However, if this storm is any indication, we’re getting close.”

“Should we try to slow down and ride out the storm?” Kaydel suggested, but Kira was shaking her head. 

“No. Whatever happens, we can’t stop. This storm means that Davy Jones knows we’re near his chest, but he hasn’t quite caught up to us yet. If he had, well, his creature from the deep would have pulled us under the waves by now.”

“Creature from the deep?” Finn exclaimed. “Is this the ‘pet’ Mother Talzin was talking about? Just how bad is it?”

“Let’s pray we don’t find out,” Kira replied grimly. “Out here on our own, even Mother Talzin’s powers couldn’t protect us from the kraken.”

_The kraken…_

Rey had heard tales of the legendary sea monster, and of course she’d thought the giant squid-like creature was nothing but a myth. Supposedly, it was larger than any ship that had ever sailed the Caribbean, and its mighty tentacles could break apart a ship as easily as a child snapping a twig in two. 

“So, be thankful for the storm,” Kira concluded. “It’s a sign that Davy Jones is trying to slow us down. It’s only when it stops that we have to worry, because it means that he’s caught us, and his kraken is in range.”

“Well, that’s just great!” Poe said, nearly slipping on the slick wooden surface of the deck as he made his way up to the helm to join Wedge. “Kira, any chance Mother Talzin gifted you with some powers that could help us sail fast enough to avoid the kraken, without being beaten into pieces by this storm?”

“I’m just a harbinger,” Kira said. “With only a tiny sliver of borrowed Nightsister magic. But my role does allow me to commune with the sea in unique ways, and I will do what I can to help calm the waters.”

“What can we do, Poe?” Hux asked. Rey noticed that he and Rose had just now made their way up to the deck. Rose was wrapped up in Hux’s uniform jacket, and they were leaning on each other to steady themselves as they walked. 

“I want my crew up on deck with me, to help me keep this ship going no matter what happens,” Poe said. “Rose, Ben, and Rey, I want you three belowdecks where it’s safe. The three of you don’t know how to maintain your footing on deck during a storm like this, and I don’t want you falling overboard.”

“Then why did you yell at us earlier to get on deck and help you ‘if we wanted to live’?’” Ben protested. 

“Because this damned storm woke me up from a surprisingly deep sleep, and I was grumpy and not thinking straight!” Poe fired back, which wasn’t a fully satisfactory answer. “Now I have a better grasp of the situation, and I’ve realized there’s nothing you can do. Get belowdecks, and stay there till we get to the island with the chest. Hux, I know you’re an experienced seaman but I want you to go down with them, and make sure those three don’t try something ridiculous.”

Hux tried to object, feeling the honorable thing as a sailor would be to stay on deck, but his words were already lost in the wind, and Poe couldn’t hear him as he grabbed onto the wheel and attempted to help Wedge steer the ship. 

Rey didn’t like running away from a dangerous situation without trying to do something, but she grudgingly had to admit that Poe was right. This was probably the worst storm his crew had ever sailed through, and Rey and her friends would just be getting in the way. 

She and Ben fought against the wind and tried not to slip as they made their way back towards the staircase and then ducked belowdecks. Although inside the ship they were free from the pounding rain and harsh winds, Rey didn’t feel very safe. The _Sea Falcon_ was a strong ship, but Rey could hear the vessel creaking and groaning as it rode roughly over the waves. 

_Is this the end?_ Rey thought numbly as they somehow managed to maintain their balance right up until they got to Ben’s cabin. A large wave slammed into the ship, and Rey and Ben fell down in a heap. Rey could feel her stomach churning, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. Her head was spinning, and though she tried to stand up, she couldn’t seem to find her balance again.

Ben wrapped his strong arms around her and picked her up, managing to open the door to his cabin and stumble inside before the next wave hit. He sat Rey down on his cot and then curled up next to her, holding her tightly in his arms as the ship battled against the choppy waters. Rey held him back just as tightly, and they comforted each other throughout the long, sleepless night. 

Rey tried to find solace in her mother’s words as the storm raged on, clinging to the hope that as long as the storm lasted, Dave Jones hadn’t reached them yet. 

_It’s only when it stops that we have to worry… It’s only when it stops that we have to worry…_

***

Ben wasn’t certain exactly when — or even how — he’d managed to fall asleep during the storm. But when he woke up, more than a little disoriented, he noticed that the sea around them finally seemed to have calmed. He could hear boots clomping around on the deck above him, but not with the same frantic energy as the night before. 

Someone was pounding on the door to his cabin, and he heard Hux yelling, “Ben, we’ve made it to the island! Captain Dameron wants us all on deck right away; he’s preparing to go ashore.”

Ben felt a surge of relief, and he allowed himself a moment to shut his eyes, breathe deeply, and contemplate how miraculous it was that they’d actually survived this experience. He couldn’t believe they’d made it through that awful storm, and that they’d arrived at the island without the kraken catching up to them. He knew their troubles were by no means over, but surely they deserved to celebrate this small victory. 

Rey was still asleep in his arms, exhausted from the ordeal the night before. His uncle Luke would certainly be scandalized if he knew about this, but Ben figured they could be pardoned, considering the circumstances. They’d nearly died in the storm, and he’d refused to deposit a frightened, seasick Rey in her own cabin and force her to ride out the storm alone. 

He needed to wake her up so they could join the search party on the island, but it was hard to disturb her when she was sleeping so peacefully. She was curled up next to his chest, clutching a small handful of his shirt in her hand. His heart ached as he watched her, and he wished he could let her sleep as long as she wanted, blissfully unaware of the dangerous adventures that awaited them. 

But if he left her sleeping here and went to shore without her, she’d never forgive him. Rey was not some fragile creature who needed to be protected; she was a blacksmith, a pirate, and a woman of action; she’d probably fight Davy Jones with just her fists, if she had to. That type of stubborn bravery terrified Ben, but also made him love her even more. Rey always had been — and always would be — a force of nature that no one could contain, and he didn’t even want to try to. Whatever was waiting for them on that island, they’d face it together. 

“Hey there,” Ben said softly, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face and trying to wake her as gently as possible. 

Despite his efforts, his voice still startled Rey, and she lurched upright, rubbing her eyes and looking frantically around the cabin. 

“The storm — it’s stopped,” she said, her voice still a little groggy as she shook off her lingering sleepiness. 

“We reached the island where the chest is buried,” Ben said. “The storm’s over, and no kraken in sight.”

Rey let out a quick little sigh of relief, and then she was already jumping into action. She planted a kiss on Ben’s forehead and then was running towards her own cabin to grab her sword before they went ashore. Ben felt a pang as she left him; when he closed his eyes, he could still remember what it was like to hold her close to his chest. He hoped he could hold her like that again, when this was all over. 

Ben vowed he would not let Davy Jones steal their happily ever after from them. They’d find this damned chest, and everything would be all right again. 

He wouldn’t accept any other outcome. 

***

“Welcome to Isla Cruces!” Poe announced without much fanfare, as soon as everyone on the _Sea Falcon_ had made it up to the main deck. 

Everyone looked more than a little haggard after a rough night at sea, and Poe hadn’t bothered to run a comb through his own hair or even change his clothes. The mission he was about to embark on didn’t demand a sense of style, and he was too tired and grumpy to care about his appearance. He just wanted to get this over with. 

He was somewhat surprised that Davy Jones had chosen an identifiable island to bury his chest on; Poe had actually been to Isla Cruces once before, unaware of its significance to the debt he owed Mother Talzin. Then again, maybe it was actually smart of Davy Jones to hide his chest in plain sight. Isla Cruces was an unremarkable island, its only significant landmarks the ruins of a stone church and a graveyard left by a group of ill-fated settlers. The church and the graveyard were supposedly haunted, which kept most superstitious sailors away. 

Poe wasn’t the sort of captain to make flowery, inspiring speeches before embarking on a mission, so he launched right into the explanation of his plan. He’d be taking a small landing party with him to shore, made up of Finn, Hux, Wedge, Kaydel, Ben, Rey, and Rose. Finn, Wedge, and Kaydel were the crew members of the _Sea Falcon_ that Poe trusted without reservation, so of course he wanted them by his side. He was taking Hux because the former commodore would probably be handy in a fight, and he knew that Rey would protest if she was left out. Rey would also argue with him if he left Ben and Rose behind, so in order to expedite this whole process, those two would have to come along as well. 

As the selected members of the landing party climbed into the lifeboat, Poe took out his compass to help him determine which direction the chest was buried in. He didn’t know how the compass would notify them when they’d reached the exact spot the chest was buried; he’d just have to hope Mother Talzin had prepared for this. 

If the stakes were less high, Poe felt he actually would have enjoyed a long, relaxing holiday on Isla Cruces (after fighting skeleton ghost pirates, he wasn’t all that worried about a haunted graveyard). The waters surrounding this island were a gorgeous, crystal-clear blue, and the beaches were covered with pristine white sand that shone so brightly in the sunlight that it almost hurt your eyes. Poe envisioned himself and Finn sitting on that beach, enjoying a bottle of rum and talking and laughing about inconsequential subjects that had nothing to do with Nightsisters, undead skeletons, or a chest with a heart inside it. _Maybe someday…_

Poe jumped out of the boat as soon as they reached the shallows, helping to pull the lifeboat onto the beach. The others formed a line behind him as he started walking across the sand, heading in a direction that he’d call “vaguely north.” He wondered if Davy Jones had left the heart at the haunted graveyard; maybe he would have appreciated the symbolism of that. 

However, Davy Jones didn’t appear to care a great deal about symbolism, because after only a few minutes of walking on the beach, the needle of Poe’s compass began to spin wildly. 

Poe stopped, dread and anticipation gripping his heart. The compass had certainly never done THAT before. Did this mean…

“Hand me a shovel!” Poe called, and Finn immediately tossed him the tool, his eyes going wide. 

“Can it really be that easy?” Ben asked, looking skeptical. Normally, Poe would have joined him in that skepticism, but, for reasons he couldn’t explain, something felt right about this. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like this truly was an ingenious place to hide a treasure. No one would suspect a valuable chest to be buried on the beach so close to the water. There’s no way Poe and his crew would have found this spot without the compass. 

“This is it!” Poe declared, and he immediately began to dig, tossing shovelfuls of sand into the air. Everyone stood in a circle and stared at him for a few moments, stunned they’d arrived at the right spot so quickly. 

“You know, some of you could help me, instead of just staring at me,” Poe muttered, and Kaydel and Hux took the other two shovels they’d brought with them and also began to dig. 

Poe lost all track of time as he plunged the shovel into the sand again and again and again, growing almost frantic as he searched for the chest. This had to be it — it had _better_ be it. While Davy Jones’ kraken couldn’t reach them on shore, the _Sea Falcon_ was still out there on the water, vulnerable to attack. Although Poe had survived the storm, he had a feeling Davy Jones couldn’t be all that far behind them at this point. 

“How deep are we going to have to dig?” Hux asked, which irritated Poe, because he obviously had no bloody idea. 

However, that question was soon answered for him, because before Hux had even finished speaking, Kaydel’s shovel hit something solid in the sand with a loud clang. 


	17. Buried Treasure

Before they’d even finished digging the object out of the sand, Poe Dameron knew they’d found what they’d come for. 

In fact, he’d known it the second the tip of Kaydel’s shovel slammed into something as she, Poe, and Hux dug frantically through the sand. The clanging sound of the metal shovel hitting the metal chest reminded him of the ominous tolling of the Port Royal bell the day he’d been marched to the gallows.

“Everyone, step aside!” Poe ordered, and no one argued with him, giving him plenty of space as he carefully brushed away the sand and then lifted the chest slowly out of the hole. The chest didn’t look all that fragile — it was made of metal, after all — but he wasn’t taking any chances. This chest was the key to his freedom from the debt that kept him shackled to Mother Talzin. 

The chest was approximately the length of Poe’s arm, and about half as wide. It appeared to be made of wood with a sheet of slate gray metal overlaying it. This was obviously not some generic chest Mother Talzin had grabbed to casually stuff Jones’ heart into after they’d made their bargain. The metal had been embossed with intricate nautical designs, including choppy waves and a tentacled sea monster that was probably supposed to represent the kraken. 

“Is Davy Jones’ heart really inside that ghastly thing?” Hux asked, staring at the box somewhat judgmentally. Poe couldn’t tell if the former Commodore was more nervous or disgusted. 

Although Poe was hesitant to tamper with the chest in any way, he realized that maybe it would be best to open it right now and make sure the heart was still in there. He didn’t want to witness Mother Talzin’s reaction if they went all the way back to her swamp and ended up presenting her with a chest that turned out to be empty.

“Hopefully you’ve got the key for it,” Finn joked, and then his smile disappeared as he saw the look of dismay on Poe’s face. 

“Wait, Mother Talzin didn’t actually give you a key?” Hux said incredulously, and Poe shot him a murderous look. 

“No, she bloody did not.” Poe looked down and saw that the chest was indeed secured with a padlock that happened to be in the shape of a heart. Mother Talzin truly did have a twisted sense of humor. 

“Maybe we don’t actually need to check inside it,” Ben piped up, but Poe ignored him. Now that a tendril of doubt had wrapped its way around his mind, he couldn’t ignore it. He had to open the chest, and make sure that Davy Jones hadn’t tried to trick them. 

“That lock looks like it’s always been a part of the chest — it has the same design,” Rose said calmly. “If Mother Talzin put that lock on there, then maybe we already have the key to open it, and we just don’t know it. Can I see your magic compass, Poe?”

Rose Tico was always a refreshing voice of reason, Poe noted to himself. He was really going to have to consider making her a permanent member of his crew; she was good at problem-solving, and caused far fewer arguments than the others. 

Poe handed the compass over quickly, observing how longingly Ben was eyeing the device. He could tell Ben was still tempted to take that compass to Admiral Brendol Hux and try to exchange it for Rey’s freedom, even though Poe had already tried to warn him that deal would certainly backfire. He was going to have to keep a close eye on the compass as long as Ben was on board the _Sea Falcon_. He didn’t think Ben would be bold enough to steal it, but then again, love could make people do rash and foolish things. 

Rose tinkered with the compass for less than a minute before she managed to pop off the back panel. She revealed a tiny, hidden compartment Poe had never known about, inside which was a key that appeared to be the necessary shape and size to open the chest. 

“Well done, Rose!” Poe said. Yes, he was definitely going to have to invite her to become a permanent crew member after this was all over. He stuck the key in the padlock, turned it, and watched in relief as the lock immediately popped open. Then taking a deep breath and preparing himself for what he was about to see, Poe lifted the lid off the chest. 

Poe had never been particularly squeamish, but as soon as he spotted what was in the chest, he had to avert his gaze and fight the urge to vomit the contents of his stomach onto the beach. Mother Talzin hadn’t been lying; there was indeed a human heart resting inside the chest, beating away as if nothing was odd about this at all.

_Thump, thump. Thump, thump._ For as long as Poe lived, he knew that sound was going to haunt his nightmares. 

“Bloody hell,” Finn breathed, with equal amounts of horror and fascination. 

Poe couldn’t have put it better himself — bloody hell indeed. He slammed the lid of the chest shut and then reattached the padlock. They’d verified the heart was there all right, and he never wanted to see the damn thing again. 

“We’ve got what we need — let’s get off this island and back to Mother Talzin,” Poe said, standing to his feet and tucking the chest underneath his arm. “I don’t want to hold onto this thing any longer than I have—”

Poe should have known that finding the chest so easily would use up the last of his good luck. Maybe allowing them to dig up the chest, and to believe they’d won, was all a part of Davy Jones’ plan. He wanted them to feel just a flicker of hope before completely snuffing it out. 

Poe felt a sudden tremor beneath his feet, as if a giant hand had reached underneath the island and was shaking it. He clutched the chest even harder and started reaching for his pistol, keeping his eyes locked on the horizon. The tremor soon stopped, but Poe could tell the island still felt off balance. The wind was picking up, and the birds hidden in the jungle foliage had stopped squawking. 

He saw the water on the edge of the shoreline start to bubble just like Mother Talzin’s cauldron, and dark shapes began emerging from the water. It took Poe a moment to comprehend what they were, because his mind found it difficult to reconcile what he was seeing with what he believed was possible. 

He knew about Mother Talzin’s harbingers and how they, like Kira Turner, grew to be more and more like the sea during their time of service. But these creatures were something beyond that: they had two arms and two legs and walked upright, but they were more sea monsters than humans. One had the head of a hammerhead shark but with human eyes, nose, and mouth. Another had a body that was formed from clusters of coral, and still another had a shell enveloping their head like a mollusk. All of them carried jagged cutlasses crusted with blood and rust. 

Poe didn’t know exactly how these unnatural creatures had come to be, but he knew exactly who had sent them: Davy Jones. 

“Run.”

The word escaped Poe’s mouth while he was still numb with shock, and everyone else was so stunned that they didn’t seem to hear him. Poe hated the idea of leaving the beach and fleeing into the jungle, because that meant putting more space between him and his beloved _Sea Falcon_. However, he knew that running towards those creatures would mean a quick and painful—

“Run, you fools!” 

Kira Turner’s voice broke through their stupor, and Poe flinched as she abruptly materialized beside him and yanked on his arm, pulling him towards the jungle. 

“I’ve already alerted the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ , and they’re sailing around to the other side of the island to meet us there,” she explained. “We have to start running now, because if Davy Jones’ creatures reach us, we’re all dead.”

For once, Poe actually appreciated Kira’s uncanny powers and her ability to transport herself supernaturally. She’d found a way to save his crew and his ship, and warn the landing party. However, he’d have to find time to thank her later; right now, she was correct: they just needed to run. 

“Go, go, go!” Poe shouted, and with that, everyone finally jumped into action, abandoning their shovels on the sand and running as fast as they could into the jungle. 

“Try to stay together — don’t get lost!” Kira instructed, but Poe noticed that in their panic, Kaydel and Hux had already disappeared, heading in a different direction from the group without even realizing it. 

Unfortunately, Poe was powerless to help them; he had no idea where they’d gone, and it would be impossible to track down moving targets in this thick foliage, especially when he was being pursued himself. He just had to keep running, keep the chest out of Davy Jones’ hands, and hope everyone could make it to the other side of the island in time to escape.

***

Davy Jones paced up and down the deck of the ship he’d commandeered, seething and trying to console himself with the knowledge that soon, this would all be over. 

He’d claimed the _Flying Dutchma_ n as his own after massacring her crew outside of Tortuga. It couldn’t compare to the legendary _Sea Falcon_ , but it was good enough for his purposes. He’d already used his magic to start making the ship his own, turning the ship’s Greek goddess masthead into a grotesque wooden monster with a maw of sharp teeth. He’d ripped down the flag and hadn’t bothered to replace it. He didn’t need to sail under a pirate flag, or any flag at all; the remade _Flying Dutchmen_ and Jones’ terrifying reputation would be enough to strike fear within all who saw him coming. 

Davy Jones had always envied Mother Talzin and her army of harbingers, and so he’d tried to use his magic to create his own. But his magic would always be a pale reflection of Mother Talzin’s — a fact that fueled his rage — and the creatures he’d created using corrupted souls snatched from the World Between Worlds looked more like fish than people. But they were fiercely loyal to him — having been terrible people during their mortal lives here on Earth — and they were grateful for a chance to create some chaos without consequences. And judging by Poe and his crew’s reaction to the sight of the creatures coming out of the water, they were sufficiently terrifying. 

Davy Jones suspected that by now Poe had come to regret his bargain with Mother Talzin, and Davy Jones almost pitied him. He had also come to resent the bargain he’d made with Mother Talzin, and any love he’d once felt for her had turned into an all-consuming hatred. 

Yes, Davy Jones had loved Mother Talzin once — as much as a cold-hearted man like himself was capable of love. He’d admired her power, and was even charmed by her capricious ways, and when she’d offered him a deal — immortality in exchange for his heart, both physically and literally — he’d taken it gladly. It seemed a small price to pay for cheating death and gaining access to the Nightsister magic. 

Yet he eventually came to realize that Mother Talzin had gifted him with a burden, rather than freedom. Possessing his heart allowed Mother Talzin to control his actions, and she’d forced him to spend his days shepherding dead souls through the World Between Worlds to the afterlife. Worse, the terms of the bargain included the fact that he could only step on land once every ten years. 

At first 10 years seemed like such a short span in an immortal lifetime, but Davy Jones loathed the way it limited his actions. He didn’t care about helping souls into the afterlife; he suspected Mother Talzin had just given him that job because she didn’t want to do it herself.

He knew the truth about Mother Talzin, how she was originally one of the immortal beings tasked with keeping watch over the World Between Worlds — the guardians known simply as “Mother, Father, Daughter, Son.”

But she’d run away to the mortal realm, so that she could be free to use her powers for her own purposes. In the World Between Worlds, her powers were equal to that of her fellow guardians, but here in the mortal realm, she was an omniscient sorceress without limits. 

Davy Jones knew that when Mother Talzin told her tale to Poe, she’d tried to portray herself as a victim. But the truth was, Mother Talzin was as much a villain as he was, and her time of reckoning was coming. 

He’d tried to trick her once before: stealing back his heart and hiding it from her here on Isla Cruces. Although he’d used dark blood magic to enchant the chest, preventing her from ever finding it, she’d still found him, and then trapped him on Isla de Muerta.

Although the broken curse had freed him, unfortunately his “one day on land every ten years” had been used up as he walked across Isla de Muerta after escaping from the cave. So now he was cursed to remain on the deck of his ship while his men went to shore in his place. 

Thankfully, he was confident his supernatural creatures would make quick work of Poe’s crew and safely return the heart to him. Then, Davy Jones would go after Mother Talzin herself. 

***

Ben ran through the jungle, never daring to look back at whatever the hell was following them. The creatures that had emerged from the ocean were like Snoke and his skeleton ghost pirates, but somehow even worse: an unholy merging of man and monster, twisted harbingers come to collect their souls. 

Ben swore he wouldn’t let them lay a hand on Rey, and while he was in no way fond of her mother, he appreciated the fact that Kira Turner appeared just as eager to protect Rey as he was. Even when the landing party scattered in the chaos, Kira kept her eyes on her daughter, her hands wrapped around a nasty-looking cutlass that Ben knew she wouldn’t hesitate to plunge into the heart of any of these walking sea monsters. 

Ben was trying to follow the same path as Poe as well as he could, figuring Poe was probably the person who could best navigate through the jungle. Ben could hear the shouts and jeers of the sea monsters behind them, as Davy Jones’ men taunted Poe and his friends. Ben tried to block out the shouting as best as he could; he knew that giving into panic would cloud his mind, and he had to keep his wits about him. 

Ahead of them, Poe hopped over a fence and ran around the outskirts of the graveyard, taking care not to step on any graves. Despite his haste, he knew better than to disrespect any spirits that might be lingering here. 

“Run through the church — it’s a shortcut!” Poe hollered to anyone within earshot, and while Ben thought it would be just as fast to run around the outside of the church, arguing would be a waste of time. They already had precious little time to spare. 

Poe tripped over some hidden obstacle buried in the tall grass, cursed, and then jumped right back on his feet, with Rey and Kira right behind him. Ben slowed down for just a second, to avoid stumbling over the same obstacle that had tripped Poe, when he saw a strange glimmer in the grass. 

He wasn’t sure how he’d even noticed it, in the middle of such a chaotic situation. But something had managed to catch his eye, and he recognized the silver imagery on the back of Poe’s magic compass. 

He quickly plucked it off the ground, figuring it must have fallen out of Poe’s pocket as the pirate captain tripped. He almost called out to Poe, alerting him that he’d dropped his compass, but a sudden realization made Ben stop. 

Ben finally had the magic compass in his possession — the key to securing Rey’s permanent papers of pardon from Admiral Brendol Hux. He’d agonized over how he could convince Poe to let him trade the compass for Rey’s freedom, and now fate had placed the object right into his hands. 

_A touch of destiny…_

Mother Talzin’s words sent a tingling shiver through him, and for a moment, he allowed himself to consider what might happen if he simply kept the compass. 

Poe clearly had no idea he’d dropped the compass, and when the pirate captain finally noticed it was missing, Ben could always remain silent, allowing Poe to think it had been lost somewhere in the jungle on Isla Cruces. Poe never needed to know what had really happened, and Ben could finally guarantee that Rey was safe from the Admiral. It was all so perfect, and Ben tried to convince himself that this was what the universe wanted him to do. 

However, he couldn’t silence the quiet voice of doubt from his conscience, and the longer he looked at the compass, the more guilty he felt. 

_Poe is your friend. The compass isn’t yours to take. There has to be another way...a better way._

Ben knew he should listen to that voice. He wanted to be a good man, and do the right thing. And yet…

The Admiral would not be willing to renegotiate his deal with Ben; he would accept the compass, or nothing. And if Ben failed to bring him the compass, then the Admiral would gladly spend the rest of his days hunting down Rey. Ben couldn’t bear the thought of Rey spending her life on the run, always afraid that the Admiral would one day catch up with her. Rey deserved a life that was so much better than that. 

_A touch of destiny…_ He thought again of Mother Talzin’s words. In her shack, the Nightsister queen had apparently peered into his future and seen something of great interest. If it wasn’t this moment, what else could it be? Ben tried to justify what he was about to do by telling himself that Mother Talzin must want him to have the compass, and since it belonged to her originally, who was he to argue? 

_It’s not right...you’re still just lying to yourself._

Ben’s conscience kept pricking at him, but by now he’d scaled the steps of the stone church and was getting ready to burst through the doorway. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted by this moral debate when a hoard of literal sea monsters was chasing them. Ben would have to choose now, and that would be that. 

“A touch of destiny,” he muttered to himself one more time, and then promptly stuck the compass into his pocket. He felt a sharp stab of guilt, but he tried to focus instead on what he was doing for Rey. 

Poe happened to turn around right then, just to make sure Rey, Kira, and Ben were all right, and Ben had to avert his eyes, feeling ashamed of his betrayal. He hoped that in the end, Poe would understand, and forgive him. 

Maybe sometimes doing the wrong thing for the right reason was okay...wasn’t it?

However, Ben had no more time to ponder that question, because then the sea monsters were upon them. 

***

At the moment, Rey Turner was not afraid — she was just very, very angry. 

She didn’t fully understand what these sea monsters were, only that they’d been sent by Davy Jones to kill all her friends. Rey wasn’t about to let that happen. 

As soon as the sea monsters charged through the front doors of the church, Rey whirled around to face them, ripping her sword out of its scabbard. 

Rey yelled at them with such a fierce snarl that for a moment, the sea monsters actually paused, apparently not expecting such bold resistance from a young woman. People always seemed to underestimate young women, and Rey was about to use their own assumptions against them. 

She swiped at the sea-men with her cutlass, catching the one with a face of coral off guard and slicing his arm clean off. To her dismay, she noticed the arm was already regenerating, growing new coral in place of the piece she’d cut off. Still, the pain of the wound she’d dealt him did slow him down, as he hunched over and waited for his arm to regrow. 

“Follow me!” Kira called, and for once, Rey was glad to do as her mother said. Kira darted up the steps to the church’s bell tower, and Rey stuck right behind her, scaling the steps backwards as she dueled the sea monsters that were following her up the staircase. Rey had lost track of where Poe was, and she only hoped that he’d been able to dart out of the church while the sea-men were distracted.

Ben was currently between Rey and Kira, and before he’d started up the staircase, he’d grabbed some chunks of stone from the piles of debris scattered inside the decaying church building. He started launching the stones at Davy Jones’ crew, and with one particularly good shot, he managed to knock “Hammerhead” off his feet, who then went tumbling into the monsters behind him, knocking them all over as well. 

“Where are we going?” Ben hollered to Kira as they cleared the top of the staircase and found themselves inside the belltower. The metal bell had rusted and fallen from its mounting long ago, so they couldn’t ring it and try to summon their friends to help them. 

“We’re going to escape,” Kira said with a remarkable calmness that Rey found just a little irritating. Their plan was falling apart around them and they were probably about to die; it was not a good time to be so blasé. 

However, Kira hadn’t charged up here without a plan. Opening the small pack that was strapped to her belt, she pulled out a rope, securing one end to the heavy bell resting on the floor and dropping the other end out the window. 

“Hurry!” she said, gesturing at Rey and Ben to slide down the rope. “If you leave now, it will take Jones’ men a while to figure out where you’ve gone.”

“Won’t they see the rope and guess what happened?” Rey asked, and Kira shook her head. 

“No. I’m going to toss the rope out the window once you and Ben are safely down.”

“But that means…” Rey’s voice trailed off, as she understood what her mother was trying to do for her. 

Kira Turner planned to stay behind and fight the sea-men, so Rey and Ben would have a chance to escape from the jungle and make it back to the _Sea Falcon_. 

Rey felt a swell of emotions she didn’t fully understand as she stared into her mother’s eyes and saw the sorrowful determination reflected there. Rey had spent so much time hating her mother for what she did, but now she was feeling...grief?

Rey had so many unresolved issues with her mother, but she could not bear the thought of leaving this woman behind to die.

“No — we all go together,” Rey replied. “Poe wouldn’t leave a member of the party behind, and neither will I.”

“But if I stay, you have a better chance of surviving.” Kira gingerly reached out and placed a hand on Rey’s cheek, her eyes now glistening with tears. “I’m so sorry for not being there all those times you needed me, Rey. Please let me do this for you now.”

“I won’t leave you to die!” Rey argued stubbornly. “It’s not right. I—”

“It’s my choice,” Kira said. “And in case we don’t meet again...goodbye, Rey. I’m so, so proud of you.”

“Wait…” Rey protested feebly, but there was nothing else she could say. Her mother would not budge, and if Rey and Ben did not leave now, her mother’s sacrifice would be in vain. 

“Thank you,” Ben told Kira, grasping her hand for a brief second before climbing out the window. He reached out a hand to help Rey, and she took it, too numb to even speak. 

As she climbed over the window ledge and grasped the rope, she surveyed the island landscape below and saw, not too far in the distance, the _Sea Falcon_ floating offshore. If they could just make it out of the church without being stopped by Jones’ men, they had a good chance of safely reaching the ship.

“Go, Rey,” Kira said, when she saw her daughter lingering. “Don’t be sorry for me. Just go, and live a better life than I did.”

Before Rey could say anything else, Kira started dropping the rope so Rey couldn’t attempt to climb back up. All Rey could do was hold on as the ground came rushing up at her, and she braced herself as her boots hit the ground. She immediately started running, her heart a hollow void inside her chest. She tried calling out for Poe, worried about what might have happened to him, but she heard no response. 

“Poe’s a clever man — he’ll make it to the beach,” Ben assured her, but Rey was so much less certain of everything right now. 

_Goodbye, Rey. I’m so, so proud of you._

She would be thinking about those words for a long, long time.

***

Rose wanted to sob with joy when she burst through the trees and saw the _Sea Falcon_ waiting for her beyond a narrow stretch of sand. Her lungs were burning from running so hard without a break, but she didn’t dare slow down now. She followed Hux and Finn across the beach, as they all waved their arms wildly and tried to catch the attention of Wedge and Kaydel, who were already wading into the shallows. 

Rose knew Kira had yelled at everyone to stay together as they first started fleeing through the jungle, but when Hux disappeared from the group, Rose couldn’t keep herself from running after him. She didn’t want him to get lost alone in the jungle, with no one to help him if he got in trouble. 

In turn, Finn must have been worried about _her_ , because he’d also broken off from the group, and then helped her track down Hux. While Rose couldn’t see any of Davy Jones’ creatures chasing them, they weren’t foolish enough to assume they were safe. For all she knew, they could share Kira’s ability to appear at random. 

Just as Rose, Finn, and Hux arrived at the beach, they saw Rey and Ben dart out of a clump of trees, running as if the jungle was on fire behind them. 

“Rose!” Rey called out to her best friend, her expression filled with relief but also...sorrow? As if she was trying to hold back tears, even as she ran. 

Rose felt unease twisting in her gut; what had Rey witnessed? Had something terrible happened in the jungle? Surely everyone from the landing party was now accounted for, except for…

_Poe and Kira. There was no sign of Poe and Kira._

“What happened?” Finn yelled as they all ran towards the water, his eyes filling with panic as he noticed the _Sea Falcon’s_ captain had not yet emerged from the jungle. 

“Kira stayed behind — to make sure we escaped,” Ben said solemnly. “She gave her life to save us.”

So that explained the tortured look in Rey’s eyes. Rose knew Rey’s relationship with her mother was complicated, and this one act might not be enough to erase a lifetime of pain and loneliness. Yet Kira’s loss was still affecting Rey now, and Rose would try to offer her friend what comfort she could as soon as they were on board the _Sea Falcon_. 

“And what about Poe?” Finn continued, and Ben actually risked stopping so he could turn around and stare at the jungle. 

“He was ahead of us — I thought he’d be here already.”

Finn stopped now too, searching the treeline with a frantic desperation. “How could we all just leave him to fend for himself in the jungle? Of course Jones’ men would focus on him, because he had the chest. What if—”

“We didn’t leave him on purpose,” Hux snapped. “Things got rather chaotic rather quickly when we all started running.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s out there alone right now,” Finn shot back. “I have to go after him. I won’t just abandon him.”

“We’d also be fools to let Davy Jones get ahold of the heart,” Rey added solemnly. “That’s the one power we have over him.”

Rose didn’t want to go back into the jungle and face whatever those creatures were. But she would, for Poe, and she knew everyone else standing on this beach would too.

Thankfully, fate decided to do them a favor, and they were saved from having to venture back into the jungle because they suddenly heard Poe yelling at them through the trees, ordering them to stop standing around like they were at a fancy lawn party and to start running. 

“Well, it looks like he’s his normal feisty self,” Hux muttered, but despite his sort-of rivalry with Poe, he still seemed relieved the captain was safe. 

That relief was short-lived, however, because as soon as Poe made it to the beach, a cluster of Davy Jones’ men came running out of the jungle after him. 

Poe was still carrying the chest, but as soon as he made it to their group, he pushed the chest into the arms of a very surprised Rose. 

“Take this to the _Sea Falcon_ ,” he ordered her, before whirling around and running his sword through the stomach of Hammerhead. 

Hammerhead staggered back, unable to be mortally wounded but still very much in pain. When Poe saw Rose was still standing there stunned, he glared and waved her away. 

“We have to get the chest away from them! The rest of us will distract them, while Wedge takes you to the ship.”

Rose looked over and saw that Wedge had already swam to the _Sea Falco_ n and then come back with a lifeboat. However, leaving her friends still made her feel like a coward, and finally Poe’s expression softened just a little, as if he understood her struggle. 

“I’m giving you the chest because I trust you, Rose,” he said. “Just as much as I trust the members of my crew. I can’t let that chest fall into Davy Jones’ hands. Please protect it until I get back to the _Falcon_.”

Rose found herself nodding, her cheeks reddening at Poe’s unexpected praise. She hadn’t thought Poe had really noticed her all that much in the past, but as he looked into her eyes, she could tell he was sincere. She determined that she would protect the chest, and she wouldn’t let go of it, no matter what happened. 

She splashed through the shallows and slid the chest into the lifeboat, then Wedge reached down and grabbed her, helping her climb aboard. 

Although Wedge started rowing the second she’d sat down, she saw that the rest of her friends had not been abandoned by the _Sea Falcon’s_ crew. Kaydel was already sailing towards the shore with another lifeboat.

Rose could see Rey and Ben fighting back to back, their movements as much in tandem as she knew their hearts were. She hoped one day she could share a bond that deep with another person’s soul. 

_With Hux,_ she allowed herself to admit, as she watched him kick the “coral man” and send him tumbling onto the sand. _I love you, Armitage Hux. And I hope one day I’m brave enough to tell you._

By now, Rey and Ben had made it to Kaydel’s lifeboat, and Hux jumped in after them. Poe made Finn go next, and for one breathless moment, Rose believed that they were all truly going to escape. 

But Coral Man had since recovered from his fall, and with his crusty coral hand, he reached out and yanked Poe back. 

“No!” Finn screamed, as if his heart had shattered. He tried to climb out of the boat and go after the pirate captain, but Hux grabbed him and held him back.

“Leave me — go now!” Poe yelled at his friends, but it was clear Finn didn’t want to comply. Tears streaming down his face, he continued to struggle against Hux’s grip. 

“Go now, before it’s too late!” Poe commanded again, as Coral Man hauled him back to shore and then slapped a pair of rusty, barnacle-encrusted shackles on his hands and informed him that he’d be taken to meet Davy Jones. 

“Poe, no…” Finn sobbed, but Poe was right — it was too late. If they went back to the beach, they’d all be taken. 

Rose sat in stunned silence, gripping the edge of the lifeboat, as a very solemn Wedge rowed the rest of the way back to the _Sea Falcon_. She didn’t want to believe this was how it ended — this wasn’t going to be the last time she saw Poe. 

_I’m giving you the chest because I trust you, Rose…_

All she could do now was try to prove herself worthy of that trust. She clutched the chest tightly, vowing that she would keep holding it until she could place it in Mother Talzin’s hands.

And then the Nightsister queen could deal with Davy Jones once and for all. 


	18. Something Worth Dying For

Poe Dameron did not want to meet Davy Jones. If everything had gone according to plan on Isla Cruces, he’d be sailing away from the island on the _Sea Falcon_ right now, the chest containing Davy Jones’ heart locked securely in the brig. 

Yet few things in Poe’s life seemed to go according to plan, and he was currently being taken to meet Davy Jones, whether he wanted to or not. 

He’d seen the _Flying Dutchman_ once in the past — back before Davy Jones had gotten his hands on it — and he’d thought it a decent, if somewhat unremarkable, ship. Now, Jones had turned it into something completely grotesque: a decaying hell-ship crewed by the damned.

Hammerhead (which was what Poe had no-so-affectionately dubbed the shark-headed man who seemed to be in charge of Jones’ sea monster crew) dragged Poe across the deck of the Dutchman and deposited him roughly at the feet of Davy Jones. 

Poe shuddered and felt a compulsion to glance away from the abomination that was Davy Jones — a man with wriggling tentacles hanging from his face and eyes filled with a depthless evil, worse even than Snoke. But he would not give Jones the satisfaction of watching him cower.

He staggered to his feet and stared boldly at Jones, not attempting to hide the defiance in his eyes. He hoped he’d earn at least a grudging sense of respect from Jones for that, but the other man merely laughed.

“Poe Dameron, you are exactly what I expected: an overconfident fool who refuses to admit he’s been beaten,” Jones said. “Hand over the heart, and I promise, your death will be quick.”

Now it was Poe’s turn to laugh bitterly. “I don’t have your damn heart,” he replied. “The only thing you’ve accomplished here is kidnapping me.”

Jones’ eyes darkened, and even though he seemed skeptical of Poe’s bluster, Poe took great pleasure in the fact that he’d at least somewhat unsettled Jones. 

“Search him!” Jones barked, and his crew members immediately scurried to do his bidding. “He’s no doubt taken the heart out of the chest and hidden it in one of his pockets.”

However, Hammerhead and Shell Face quickly discovered that Poe wasn’t lying. Poe had given the chest to Rose before being captured, and it was hopefully already on its way to Mother Talzin. 

Poe grinned brazenly at Jones, which earned him a blow from the back of Jones’ hand that was delivered with such force that it knocked him off his feet. 

Poe could feel a trickle of blood oozing down his chin, from the spot on his lip where Jones had hit him, but he once again forced himself to his feet. He refused to give Jones any sort of power to intimidate him. 

“What did you do with the chest!” Jones spat, flecks of spittle smacking Poe in the face. 

Poe winced slightly, but he didn’t blink. “Why should I tell you? You’re going to kill me anyway, and this is a secret I’d rather take to my grave.”

Jones said nothing for a moment, but Poe could see he was so angry he was grinding his teeth together, his tentacles quite literally quivering with rage. Even though Poe’s life was about to end, he drew just a little satisfaction from that. Before he died, he was going to taunt this bastard as much as he could. 

“If your friends are taking the heart to Mother Talzin, they’ll soon find she is a fickle ally,” Jones said. “She is not some benevolent guardian keeping watch over the seas. She is as greedy for power as I am, and you are all fools to trust her.”

“She’s no saint, but she’s better than you,” Poe retorted. “And compared to the breadth of her powers, all you have is a measly little spark of magic. She’s going to crush you into oblivion.”

“Well, you won’t be around to see it,” Jones snarled, then turned to his crew. “Take Dameron to a lifeboat and then set him adrift.”

_To a lifeboat?_ Poe stared at Jones in confusion, feeling an unexpected surge of relief. He thought Jones would do something like whip out his cutlass and run him through right on the deck. If Jones’ crew members were planning to maroon him instead...well, that wasn’t great either, but it was far preferable to immediate death. 

Leaving Poe’s hands shackled together, Jones’ crew dropped Poe into a lifeboat and then cut the ropes, allowing the boat to drop into the water with a loud splash. The _Flying Dutchman_ unfurled its sails and immediately started drifting away from him, Jones’ crew laughing and pointing at Poe as they went. 

“Well, that was surprisingly anticlimactic,” Poe remarked to himself as he watched the _Dutchman_ sailing towards the setting sun. The _Dutchman_ might have a supernatural crew, but the _Sea Falcon_ was still faster, and with the headstart Poe had bought his friends, they should make it to Mother Talzin’s swamp before Jones could catch them. Mother Talzin’s harbingers might be able to provide some additional protection as well. 

That just left Poe with the problem of being stuck in this lifeboat with his hands tied. Thankfully, the current appeared to be pulling him towards shore, rather than away from it, and with any luck, the lifeboat would eventually beach itself. He could forage on the island for food until a ship hopefully sailed by and picked him up. 

However, Poe soon realized that what he thought was a merciful punishment from Davy Jones was not merciful at all. Before the _Dutchman_ disappeared from sight, he heard a loud, reverberating gong sounding from the deck of the ship. 

That’s odd, he thought, seconds before the lifeboat began to rock with a sudden influx of waves. 

Poe felt an increasing sense of dread as he stared down into the suddenly choppy waves, watching as they pushed him back out into deeper waters. Something smacked into the bottom of the lifeboat, and the tiny craft nearly capsized and dumped him into the water. 

“Bloody hell!” Poe gasped as the water around him suddenly came alive with a mass of writhing black tentacles, each of them the size of a ship’s mast. 

_The kraken._

Jones hadn’t spared Poe after all; he’d just sent his bloody kraken to finish the job. 

No one would blame Poe for being afraid in this moment; any person — no matter how brave — would be rightfully terrified to face such a horrifying creature. 

And while Poe was afraid, he found that flame of defiance inside him was burning hotter and hotter. Jones wanted him to suffer, and to die a miserable death gripped by terror. Poe might not be able to escape from the kraken, but he was going to die on his feet, as bravely as possible. 

It was challenging to stand up in the rocking lifeboat, but somehow Poe managed it, and he made himself stare down at the tentacles and the maw of teeth rushing towards him. 

He’d always thought that when he met his end, his last thought would be of the _Sea Falcon_ — the ship that he’d lost, and loved, and now lost again. Yet instead, all he thought about was Finn. Finn was the best person in his life, and a far better comrade than Poe deserved. Although Poe didn’t want to die, if his sacrifice enabled Finn to live, then it would be worth it. 

_Run, Finn, run..._

His last words were a prayer whispered into the wind, hoping they’d give the _Sea Falcon_ a little extra speed to carry the ship to safety. 

Then with his infamously stubborn grin on his face, Poe turned back to the kraken and remarked, “Hello, beastie,” just as the creature’s maw closed over him and the lifeboat, and plunged his world into darkness. 

***

No one spoke much on the voyage to Mother Talzin’s shack deep in the bayou.

What was there to say? Kira was (presumably) dead, having sacrificed herself to Jones’ men in order to help Rey and Ben escape. Poe had been taken captive by Jones, and no one wanted to speculate what had happened to him after that. 

Ben spent a lot of time standing silently on the deck, staring at the horizon and feeling wracked by guilt. He hadn’t told anyone else the truth about Poe’s compass, but thoughts of it ate away at him every moment he was awake. Poe had been his friend, and the last thing Ben had done to him was steal his second most valuable possession (the _Sea Falcon_ was the first in Poe’s heart, of course). Poe would die unaware of just how deeply Ben had betrayed him. 

Ben felt a burning need to confess to someone — anyone — but he couldn’t seem to find the words, or the right moment. Finn was drowning in grief over the loss of Poe, and he hadn’t been seen outside his cabin once since they’d left Isla Cruces. Snap just had to leave plates of food outside his door, and these were barely even touched.

Ben also felt he couldn’t go to Rey, who was shouldering the weight of her own complex emotions. On top of the years of pent-up anger towards her mother that she was still processing, she was now grieving her mother’s abrupt loss. It wasn’t Rey’s fault her mother had died, but she still felt guilt that Kira Turner had stayed behind alone. Rey would never be able to get the closure with her mother that she so desperately needed. 

And so, Ben had no choice but to keep his secret locked away inside of him, dealing with his silent misery as best he could. He felt he had no right to anyone’s pity; everyone on board the _Sea Falcon_ was equally miserable right now, though for different reasons. 

They managed to outrun Davy Jones’ ship, the _Flying Dutchman_ , and only encountered one other ship on their way to the island where Mother Talzin lived. It was a small Royal Navy vessel, but they passed the ship at night, and it was dark enough that the other ship never saw the _Sea Falcon_. Maybe Mother Talzin was using some of her magic to help cloak them as well.

While their journey mercifully ended without another attack from Davy Jones, they discovered a different sort of problem as Wedge was trying to organize a landing party to travel to Mother Talzin’s shack.

Armitage Hux was gone. 

They searched every corner of the ship; even the still grief-stricken Finn participated. However, the former commodore was nowhere to be found.

This news hit Rose the hardest, and even after everyone else had given up the search, she went back through the ship, checking every single room one more time with tears in her eyes. 

Rose hadn’t said anything to Ben, but he was certain by now that Rey’s best friend was in love with Hux. He’d noticed the quiet longing in her eyes every time she looked at the former commodore, and they’d appeared to grow even closer after picking up the drunken, down-on-his-luck Hux at the tavern in Tortuga. 

Wedge feared that Hux had accidentally fallen overboard, but Kaydel quickly argued that wasn’t likely. Hux was an experienced seaman, and they hadn’t sailed through any rough waters. 

That’s when Rey made a discovery — one of the _Sea Falcon’s_ lifeboats was unaccounted for. Of course they’d lost the lifeboat they took to Isla Cruces to search for the chest, but now another one was missing. And the more Ben thought about it, the more convinced he was that Hux was the one to take it. 

Hux obviously missed his life with the Royal Navy. And while his father, Admiral Brendol Hux, was a heartless bastard, Hux still desperately sought his father’s approval. Multiple times after being dishonorably discharged, Hux had commented on how he wished there was a way to reclaim his honor and to get back into his father’s good graces. 

What if Hux had seen that Royal Navy ship they passed and decided to steal a lifeboat and try to sneak on board the other vessel? Maybe he thought that by warning his father about the coming threat of Davy Jones, he could regain his position in the Royal Navy. 

Wedge and Kaydel saw this as an unequivocal betrayal, and declared that Hux was no longer a friend to them. He’d forsaken his pirate comrades even after they’d helped him, and he was now going back to help the man who wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth. 

However, to Ben it was more complicated than that. What Hux had done wasn’t right, but Ben...well...he understood why Hux had made that choice. He knew how desperation and longing could haunt you, and twist you into a worse version of yourself. Hadn’t something similar happened to him with Poe’s compass?

As they prepared to visit Mother Talzin, Wedge and Kaydel agreed to stay behind on the _Sea Falcon_ to keep an eye on things. That left Ben, Rey, Rose, and Finn to board the lifeboat and sail up the river and deliver the chest to the Nightsister queen. 

The swamp was eerily silent as they floated down the river, as if the land itself grieved the loss of life and the looming darkness. Ben could hear a mournful chanting weaving through the wind and working its way into his heart, the song bringing him an odd sort of comfort. This time, he didn’t resist Mother Talzin’s magic; he allowed it to wash over him, praying it could take away just a little of his pain. 

When they stepped into Mother Talzin’s shack, they found her seated grimly on the floor, in front of an empty cauldron. This time, there was no hint of amusement in her eyes. 

“Poe, is...is…” Finn stammered, trying to give an explanation, but Mother Talzin held a finger to her lips.

“Hush now, child,” she said in a voice that was surprisingly gentle, and even tinged with compassion. “I know of what happened to Poe, and I know how you grieve. I will not force you to relieve that pain by telling me the tale.”

“We brought you the chest,” Rose said solemnly, setting the metal box on the floor in front of Mother Talzin and completing the final task Poe had given her. 

Ben thought he’d see an expression of triumph on Mother Talzin’s face when the chest was returned to her after all this time. Instead, he saw darkness swirling in her eyes — a look of anger, confusion, and fear. 

“What have you done with the heart?” she hissed, and Rose stared at her, suddenly perplexed. 

“It’s inside the chest. We brought it to you straight from Isla Cruces. We checked the heart on the beach, just to make sure it was in there, and—”

“Well, it is not here now!” Mother Talzin snapped. “You’ve brought me nothing but an empty chest.”

Ben felt a sudden stab of terror, as if Mother Talzin had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart until it was about to burst. This couldn’t be right — the heart WAS in the chest. What could have happened to it?

“Poe gave me the key for safekeeping — he didn’t put it back inside the compass,” Rose said, scrambling to take the small key out of her pocket. “But I swear I haven’t touched the chest.”

“I believe you, Rose,” Finn said, his voice detached and surprisingly calm despite the tense situation they found themselves in. This was actually the first time Ben had heard him speak since they’d left Isla Cruces. “There’s an easy explanation for what’s happened here.”

He took the key from Rose and knelt beside the chest, unlocking the padlock and lifting the lid. Sure enough, the chest was empty. 

“Where the hell is it?” Ben exclaimed, struggling to process this. He could feel the rage bubbling and boiling inside Mother Talzin, and he had the uncomfortable realization that if she got angry enough, she could kill them all instantly, with nothing more than a snap of her fingers. 

“I think Hux took it,” Finn said. “He was probably thinking about it for a while. If he takes the heart to his father, the Admiral can control Davy Jones — the most powerful force on the seas, aside from Mother Talzin. When that Royal Navy ship passed by us, he saw his chance, and he took it.”

“Hux wouldn’t betray us like that!” Rose interjected, clearly in distress. “He wouldn’t steal the heart, and he wouldn’t just leave us like this.”

Ben didn’t want to believe it either, but as he stared into Mother Talzin’s burning eyes, he realized it was the truth. Hux’s guilt and desire for absolution had driven him to take the heart...and thereby doomed them all.

Finn slammed the chest shut once again, then stood to his feet, both his fists clenched tightly. “I’m going to make him pay for this,” he said bitterly, and Ben realized he’d never seen this level of anger from the normally good-natured first mate before. “Poe gave his life so we could take this chest to Mother Talzin and stop Davy Jones, and now Hux has ruined all of it.”

“This is an unexpected blow,” Mother Talzin agreed, but Ben noticed the heat of her anger was actually starting to dissipate. “What’s done is done, and for now we must accept what has happened. You are all fools for letting the heart out of your grasp, but I can see that you are honest fools, at least. You did not try to trick me or consciously attempt to keep the heart away from me, and for that I will spare you. But if we are all to survive the approaching darkness, you must help me get it back.”

“But how?” Finn asked, tears filling his eyes as he was reminded, once again, of the loss of Poe. “How do we face the entire Royal Navy and the immortal master of the _Flying Dutchman_ and his crew of sea monsters? How do I...how do I go on without Poe?”

Mother Talzin slowly rose to her feet, her blood red robes swishing around her. She took a step towards Finn, placing her hand underneath his chin and lifting it until his tear-streaked face was level with hers. 

“You don’t have to go on without Poe,” she said. “Davy Jones has taken him, but he is not yet dead. Poe waits in the World Between Worlds, and if you are brave enough to make the journey, you just might be able to save him and bring him back to the realm of the living.”

“Then let’s go,” Finn said without a moment’s thought. His formerly lifeless eyes were finally sparking with hope once again. “Poe was willing to risk his life to save us, and I’m willing to do the same for him.”

Rey stepped up beside him, placing a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “He’s right. We’ll need Poe’s help to fight Davy Jones and the Royal Navy, but more than that, he’s our friend. We’ll do what we must.” 

“Then you must leave at once,” Mother Talzin said. “I cannot venture into the World Between Worlds myself right now, but I will send you with a map and a guide.”

“We don’t have Poe’s magic compass anymore,” Finn said, and Ben had to force himself to keep his face neutral, and not let anyone see his lingering guilt. _They did have Poe’s compass with them, actually...because it was hidden in Ben’s pocket._

Yet Ben was spared from an impromptu confession by Mother Talzin’s next set of instructions. 

“The World Between Worlds is the one place the compass does not have the power to take you,” she said, and Ben almost sighed in relief, before he caught himself. Mother Talzin took out an ancient roll of parchment tied with a red ribbon and handed it carefully to Finn. “This map will take you to the ends of the Earth, where our realm fades into the World Between Worlds. At that point, my guide will meet you and take you the rest of the way.”

“Thank you, Mother Talzin,” Finn said, clutching the map to his heart as if it was his most valuable possession. (Then again, since it was the key to getting Poe back, it _had_ become his most valuable possession). “Who is the guide we should look for?”

“My harbinger, Kira Turner,” Mother Talzin said so matter-of-factly that it took them all a moment for the shock to hit. 

“But she’s...she’s gone,” Rey stammered. “She stayed behind to give us a chance to escape. Were you actually able to save her?”

“Yes and no,” Mother Talzin replied, somewhat cryptically. “Jones’ monsters wounded her, almost to the point of death, but I was able to pull her out just in time. However, she must now remain in the great in between, which keeps her wounds in a sort of stasis. If she returns to our realm, she will die.”

Ben reached over and squeezed Rey’s hand, as he watched the impact this news was having on her. Maybe this voyage to the World Between Worlds would help her get the closure she needed after all.

“Kira will help shepherd you through the in between, but be careful,” Mother Talzin warned them before they left. “It’s a strange and perilous place, and it’s easy to get lost. You will encounter things you are not expecting, and no matter what you see or experience, you must not give into despair. If you become stuck there, I will not be able to come and rescue you.”

“We’ll make it,” Finn said with a confidence that Ben didn’t quite share. However, Ben was glad for Finn’s confidence, because they’d need that kind of stubborn conviction to push them through the difficult journey they were about to embark on. 

They’d soon discover just what the strange realm called the World Between Worlds really was...and hopefully they’d also be able to make their way back.

***

Armitage Hux sat outside his father’s office in Port Royal, every moment the Admiral made him wait absolute agony. 

Hux tightly grasped the small box sitting on his lap, unwilling to let it out of his sight. Although he was certain none of the soldiers around him had any idea what kind of priceless object it contained, he didn’t want to take any chances. This box was the only thing that could buy him redemption. 

Hux knew his father was making him wait longer than necessary, as a way of reminding Hux who was in control here. Hux was too nervous to be irritated at his father’s games right now, and he recognized that he had to present himself with perfect deference and humility in order for this to work. 

He was surprised his father had actually agreed to meet with him, even after Hux had sent him a note saying he’d come to bargain with an object “far more valuable than Poe Dameron’s magic compass.” Even if the Admiral was skeptical, this note had clearly gotten his attention. Otherwise, he might have sent Hux directly to jail, instead of inviting him to his office. 

Finally, after more than an hour had passed, the door to the Admiral’s office opened, and Hux was summoned inside. 

Admiral Brendol Hux sat behind his desk, appearing as imposing as ever; his uniform was perfectly pressed, and his slightly graying red hair was slicked back, with not a single hair out of place. He stared silently at his son as Hux sat down in the chair across from him. The only tell that betrayed the Admiral’s keen interest was the sudden gleam in his eyes as he saw the box. 

“You'd better have something good to show me,” the Admiral spoke at last, his eyes boring into Hux. “If I recall, I thought I promised that if I ever saw you in Port Royal again, I’d send you to the gallows.”

Hux swallowed, trying to behave with impeccable protocol despite his nerves. “I know — I wouldn’t have risked coming back if it wasn’t important.”

Hux carefully placed the box on the table, but left it closed for dramatic effect. He wanted to show his father he could play mind games too. 

“I know how much you wanted Poe’s compass,” Hux continued. “I wasn’t able to bring it to you; it was captured along with Poe on Isla Cruces. However, what I have brought you is an object of infinitely more power: the heart of Davy Jones.”

Hux unlocked the box and flipped open the lid, and he watched his father’s eyes widen as the Admiral peered inside and saw the heart beating. 

“Impossible…” the Admiral whispered, and that’s when Hux knew he’d completely hooked his father. Hux drew in a quick breath, attempting to calm himself. He had to keep behaving as if he had the upper hand here, and not let his father see just how desperate he was.

“Because you believe in Poe’s magic compass, I know you believe that other supernatural powers exist in the world,” Hux said. “This heart was carved from Davy Jones’ chest by a powerful witch, and it can be used to control him. With Davy Jones at your side, the Royal Navy will be the most powerful military force in the world.”

“And what do you want in return for the heart?” the Admiral asked. “I know you didn’t come here to just present it to me as a gift.”

“I want my life back,” Hux said simply, his voice breaking slightly despite his attempts to keep his emotions in check. “I want to rejoin the Royal Navy. To have a ship and a crew. To be a man of honor again.”

“A man of honor…” the Admiral mused. “Interesting, as I presume you stole this object, and betrayed your pirate ‘friends’ to bring it to me.”

Those words landed like a blow to Hux’s stomach, and he felt the tide of guilt threatening to break the dam he’d so carefully built to keep it at bay. 

Hux wanted his honor back as a Royal Navy officer, yet he damn well knew that what he had done to his friends was anything BUT honorable. He had sneaked away in the middle of the night, borrowed the key to the chest without Rose realizing it, and then stolen the heart that Poe had given his life to keep away from Davy Jones. 

He was quite sure the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ would never forgive him. He would be dead to them now, and they’d probably kill him if their paths ever crossed. Hux knew that what he was doing was deeply wrong and yet…

When he’d seen the Royal Navy ship pass by on their way to Mother Talzin’s swamp, he hadn’t been able to resist what he believed was his last chance at redemption. 

Rey and Ben seemed to be adjusting to pirate life, but Hux could not stop longing for the old life he once lived. He hated that his legacy with the Royal Navy had become one of dishonor and shame. His father had cast him out of his life forever, and the Hux family line would die out in infamy. 

Hus knew, intellectually, that his father was not a good man, yet he couldn’t stop needing his approval. His father would probably never love him, but if he could just get him to be at least a little proud of him, Hux wouldn’t feel like so much of a failure. 

He justified stealing the heart by telling himself this was just as good as giving the heart to Mother Talzin. The heart would still be beyond Davy Jones’ control, and maybe the Admiral could use it to do some good, protecting His Majesty’s empire. 

_Yet you’ve lost Rose forever,_ the haunting voice of his conscience reminded him, and Hux squeezed the armrests of his chair so hard his hands hurt, so he could focus on the physical pain and not the pain inside his heart. 

Armitage Hux loved Rose Tico more than anything. Yet as a disgraced deserter of the Royal Navy, he could not give her the life she deserved. He would not bring shame to her family, as he had brought shame to his. She would hate him for what he’d done today, and he’d deserve it. He could only hope that by rejoining the Royal Navy, he could make the world a better, and safer, place for her. 

There was no way Hux could explain all those complex emotions to his father, and so instead he said simply, “I did what I thought I must. The heart is yours, Father.”

A slow smile spread across the Admiral’s face, and he reached out and grasped his son’s hand, giving it a firm shake. Hux tried to tell himself that smile was a sign of him taking pride in his son’s accomplishment, and not the expression of a power-hungry man who’d just been given the tool he needed to become a tyrant. 

“You have impressed me...Commodore Hux,” the Admiral said. “Welcome back to the Royal Navy.”


	19. At World’s End

How does one go about finding the place where the world ends?

Rather than an answer to that question, all Mother Talzin had given them was a riddle to puzzle over as they sailed into unknown waters. 

Logically, Rey knew the world didn’t just “end.” The Earth was a round globe hanging in the heavens, and technically you could sail around it again and again and again, in a never-ending circle. Yet Mother Talzin had assured them that the end of the Earth was indeed a real place you could get to, and beyond it, they’d find a realm outside of time and space called the World Between Worlds, where Poe (and also her mother, apparently) were somehow still alive. 

What would the end of the world look like, anyway? Would they be able to tell when they’d left one world and slipped into another? Mother Talzin had simply informed them that “they’d know,” but Rey found that reassurance too vague to be comforting. 

The map Mother Talzin had given them, inscribed on an ancient roll of parchment, was more of a cipher than a straightforward navigational chart. Despite all of Wedge’s experience as a navigator, even he found the map confusing, and he’d spent most of the journey just staring at it, his weathered face a constant mixture of frustration and bewilderment. 

When you first opened up the map to its full rectangular shape, it appeared to be a muddle of disconnected lines and random letters scattered across the parchment. You had to figure out the correct way to fold the map, so that the lines and letters would connect in a way that made sense. Obviously Mother Talzin didn’t want just anyone finding the World Between Worlds, so this code was not designed to be simple to crack. 

So far they’d tried folding the map at least 20 different ways, and all they’d been able to decipher was the word: “south.” With nothing else to go on, they decided to sail straight south, hoping the rest of the map would become clear as they went. They left the Caribbean and sailed down the coast of the southern American continent, stopping only when necessary, to gather fresh water to drink and produce to eat from the jungle.

At least they were (presumably) safe from Davy Jones. By now Armitage Hux had surely given the heart to his father, and Rey doubted that the Admiral’s first priority would be using the heart to force Davy Jones to track down the _Sea Falcon_. He’d want to secure his control of Port Royal and the British Navy first. 

Rey still couldn’t believe Hux had double-crossed them, and if she ever happened to see him again, the first thing she was going to do was punch him in the face. Beyond betraying them and handing control of Davy Jones over to his evil father, he’d broken poor Rose’s heart. 

Rose tried to pretend that she wasn’t still suffering. She told everyone she’d simply needed one good cry to get Hux out of her system, and she was now ready to focus on the mission and move on with her life. Yet Rey noticed just how often her friend stood alone on the deck, leaning up against the railing and staring wistfully in the direction of Port Royal, now countless miles behind them. 

Rey hoped that Rose could indeed forget Hux and find love again one day, but she knew how hard it was to dig someone out of your heart once they’d burrowed deep inside there. In the past, she’d tried many times to convince herself that it wasn’t practical to be in love with Benjamin Swann, but she’d fallen for him anyway. The heart wanted what it wanted, even if in the end that love was doomed to end in grief.

Despite the crushing heartbreak Rose had experienced, she remained as dedicated to solving the mystery of the map as the rest of the crew members. And though no one would have blamed her for locking herself away in her cabin, it was eventually her who figured out the puzzle. 

Very late one evening — at an hour long past midnight — Rey walked into the dining hall to find Finn, Kaydel, and Ben arguing over how to try folding the map next, with Rose watching them silently from a corner. 

“I’m sure we’ve already tried that!” Ben complained, and Kaydel countered, “But what if you’re wrong? Why not try it anyway? We have nothing else to do with our time, and it’s not like we have any other bloody ideas.”

Rey knew that everybody’s patience was running perilously thin, like a rope that was stretched almost to the point of snapping. Why did Mother Talzin have to be so frustratingly cryptic? Why couldn’t she have just magically transported them all to the Worlds Between Worlds and saved them from this—

“Maybe we’re going about it the wrong way.”

Rose’s voice was quiet, but she’d spoken so rarely over the past few days that everyone else immediately stopped arguing and turned to look at her. 

“We’re trying to treat this like a regular old map,” she continued, carefully picking up the piece of parchment from the table and holding it closer to the candlelight. Although her eyes looked impossibly tired and sad, she’d still managed to spot something the rest of them had missed. “We’re folding the map into endless variations of flat squares and rectangles, expecting it to eventually end up looking like every other map we’ve ever seen. But why should we assume that? This is a map to a spiritual realm, not a physical one. Maybe it’s not intended to make sense in a logical way. What if instead of using our heads to solve this, we have to instead follow our hearts?”

Although Kaydel looked highly skeptical, she respected Rose enough not to immediately disregard the idea. 

“Well, I’m willing to admit that we’ve tried just about every other way of folding this, trying to match up the lines and letters,” Kaydel said. “What else do you have in mind, Rose?”

Rose continued to stare at the sheet of parchment, gently running her fingers across the thin, fragile paper. 

“The World Between Worlds is a magical place, beyond anything we could possibly imagine,” Rose said. “A map to this place would be something special, probably symbolic. The paper was already creased when we got it, so obviously it’s been folded before. That means we’re not completely on the wrong path, though we have strayed in the wrong direction. What if this map is actually meant to be folded in an origami style, transforming the paper into a work of art that’s both beautiful and functional?”

Rey felt a strange tingling in her chest, and she leaned forward, looking at the map in an entirely new way. It was as if they’d all been standing in a very dark room, and Rose had suddenly flung open the drapes, allowing light to finally stream in. The idea sounded far-fetched but also seemed like a perfect fit: if someone was going to create a map leading to an otherworldly realm, why not use an intricate and magical origami design?

“Let’s try it,” Finn said, his frustration transforming into excitement as he took the paper and began folding it into a new shape: a heart. Rey thought that was a good first try; Rose had encouraged them to follow their hearts rather than their heads, after all. 

While the heart did not appear to be the correct solution, Rey noticed how quickly and smoothly the shape came together, as if the map was pleased they’d finally discovered the correct technique. Rey tried folding the paper into a boat next, and while that didn’t work either, she had the sense that they were getting very, very close. 

“I think you should try next, Rose,” Rey said, passing the paper to her friend. Everyone gathered around Rose as she sat down and almost reverently began folding the paper. Her fingers worked quickly, as if some force outside herself was guiding her as she worked. When she finished, she held up her creation, revealing a fragile paper bridge. 

“A bridge — of course,” Finn breathed. “Because the World Between Worlds is a bridge between the mortal world and the afterlife. Rose, I...I think you’ve done it.”

They all squeezed in closer together to get a better look, and sure enough, the mishmash of lines and letters finally made sense. Rey couldn’t help gasping just a little; Rose was right — the map was now functional, but also delicate and beautiful. It truly was a work of art. 

The map did indeed instruct them to sail south, and it was a relief to realize they hadn’t gotten that wrong. While the words appeared to be written in English, Rey doubted that was how they’d originally appeared. This map likely had magical properties that allowed the reader to translate what was probably an ancient and forgotten tongue. 

On one side of the paper bridge, the line art formed a pattern of ocean waves, along with the words “Sail south until you can sail no more.” Those instructions were fairly straightforward, at least. Then, on the other side of the origami shape was a drawing of a fish and the slightly more ambiguous words, “Let me go and let me be free.” Finally, on the bottom of the map was a completely nonsensical phrase: “Up is down.”

And that was it. There were no more words or pictures, no further instructions to clarify what they’d just read. 

Rey’s excitement over the fact that they’d finally deciphered the map quickly began to diminish, and she could tell Ben felt the same way. 

“Well, that doesn’t make a bloody bit of sense,” he remarked, setting down the origami map in frustration after staring at it for a moment in silence. “Of course Mother Talzin would give us a map like this — it’s a riddle where the answer is actually just more riddles.”

“I think we’ve done all we can for tonight,” Finn said, trying to keep everyone’s spirits up. At this point, taking a break wasn’t really a bad idea; if they kept staring at the map, they might be tempted to burn it in frustration. “Thanks to Rose, at least now we know we’re sailing in the right direction.”

“Maybe each instruction is only designed to make sense when you’ve completed the step before it,” Rose added. “As in, until we’ve sailed south until we ‘can sail no more,’ we won’t know what ‘let me go and let me be free’ really means.”

“Let’s hope so,” Kaydel said solemnly. “Because soon we’ll be sailing into completely uncharted waters, and if we get lost down here, we may never be able to find our way back to the Caribbean. We could just end up wandering around until we starve to death, or die from a lack of fresh water.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Finn assured her, although he had no real guarantee that wouldn’t be their fate. “Rose is right — let’s just keep following the instructions we do understand, and trust that Mother Talzin wouldn’t leave us with a useless map.”

Everyone agreed and headed off to bed, some of them feeling more confident than others about the successful outcome of this journey. Rey curled up on her cot and did the best she could to stop thinking about the map, trying to give her mind a chance to rest. By now, they’d extracted all the information they could from the map, and it would either take them safely to the World Between Worlds...or they’d be lost forever at sea.

***

Growing up in London, Ben thought he knew what it was like to experience the cold. He remembered the first time his mother had taken him outside as a child to play in the snow, holding up his mitten-covered hands and laughing as he tried to catch the pretty white flakes falling from the heavens. 

However, a London winter could not even begin to compare to the bitter cold Ben felt here, as the _Sea Falcon_ sailed further and further south into frigid black waters cluttered with chunks of ice. The sky above them was always cloudy, and every night Ben dreamed about what it was like to stand on the Caribbean beaches and feel the warmth of the sun on his face. Right now, no matter how many blankets he piled on top of himself each night, when he woke he was always shivering. 

They had reached a part of the ocean that likely no other pirates from the Caribbean had ever visited. It was a wild, untamed place, with a stark sense of beauty and not a single speck of green or growth as far as the eye could see. In better circumstances, encountering such a vast wilderness untouched by human civilization might have inspired wonder. Instead, it just seemed cold and lonely. 

Eventually, they came upon a towering wall of ice so massive they could not determine how long it would take to sail around it. Wedge couldn’t even see the end of the wall with his spyglass fully extended.

Yet they had not actually reached a dead end, because in the middle of this wall of ice was a crack just wide enough for their ship to sail through. The origami map had not mentioned this place, but Ben had a feeling this was the path they were always intended to take. The strange forces that controlled the World Between Worlds seemed to have guided them to this one tiny silver of an opening that would allow them to journey into the otherworldly realm. 

As the _Sea Falcon_ sailed through the crack in the ice wall, Ben took a look back at the endless gray sky and the dark waters behind them, wondering if he would ever see the sun again. Maybe his last memory of the Earth and the life he’d once lived would be that dreary sky and the unforgiving ocean churning beneath it. Once they passed into the ice wall, it would be too late to turn back; the passageway was too narrow to turn the ship around and it seemed to stretch on for many miles.

Propelled (presumably) by magic rather than by wind (since the ship’s sails were now hanging limply from the mast), the _Sea Falcon_ traveled through the never-ending ice. By now, Ben had lost all track of time; he didn’t know whether they’d been sailing for hours or days, and it probably didn’t even matter. He didn’t think they’d left the mortal realm yet, but there was definitely something...different about this place. Something unnatural. The ice wall on either side of them stretched so high now it just faded into darkness. He couldn’t even see the sky. 

It was difficult not to give into despair in such a desolate place, and Ben realized how much the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ really did rely on Poe’s high spirits and constant bluster to keep them going. Although sometimes Poe did get on your nerves, he could also make everybody laugh, and make you feel like you really could take on the entire world all by yourself. They definitely needed some of that crazy bravado right now. 

They took turns keeping watch on the deck, even though there wasn’t really anything to see except for miles and miles of ice. During his shifts, Ben found it difficult to keep his attention focused on his job, and he often dozed off. Usually, whoever he was partnered with took pity on him and just let him sleep. But one night (or afternoon, or whatever time it actually was) as he was drifting in and out of consciousness, Kaydel grabbed him by the shoulders, shook him vigorously, and startled him awake. 

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, lurching back to attention and rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry I fell asleep, but you didn’t have to—”

“Just be quiet and look!” Kaydel ordered, and as Ben’s eyes cleared, he stared up in amazement. For the first time in what felt like forever, he could actually see the sky. And it was scattered with a mosaic of constellations brighter and more numerous than Ben had ever seen. 

They finally exited the ice wall and drifted into waters that were so calm the ocean looked like a sheet of glass. The air was no longer bitter cold, and Ben actually felt a warm breeze rustling his hair. And though he never imagined he’d be glad to see her, Kira Turner suddenly appeared, standing on the deck in front of them. 

“You have no idea how happy we are to see you,” Ben told her, such a powerful flood of relief washing over him that he wanted to run up and hug her, dancing with her around the deck. “I was so afraid we were lost.”

He saw the smallest hint of a smile on Kira’s face. “But you ARE lost, Benjamin Swann — and that’s exactly where you need to be. For first you must be lost, in order to get to a place that cannot be found.”

None of that made a bit of sense to Ben, but at the moment, he didn’t care. If Kira was here, then that meant they were about to slip into the World Between Worlds. He noticed the barnacles that had previously encrusted her arms (a sign of her status as a harbinger for Mother Talzin) had since fallen away, and her hair was no longer a matted, dripping mess. He was amazed by how much she really did look like her daughter, and at this moment, she actually did seem almost...happy. Or at the very least content. As if here, she had finally found some glimmer of peace. 

“So, are we already in the World Between Worlds?” Kaydel asked, and Kira shook her head. 

“Not quite, but we’re very, very close. We just have to take the final plunge.”

“The final...plunge?” Ben wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. _Hopefully that was just a metaphor..._

By now, everyone had heard the commotion on deck and came running to see what had happened. Finn let out a cheer as he saw Kira, and Rose hugged Rey. For the first time, Ben could see Rey looking at her mother with a smile. 

“What does the map tell you to do next?” Kira asked in response to Ben’s question, and Finn held out the origami bridge. 

“Well, I assume we’ve officially sailed as far south as we can possibly go. So next we have to ‘let me go and let me be free.’ But what does that mean? Who’s the ‘me’?”

“In order to pass into the World Between Worlds, you have to surrender control,” Kira said. “You have to let go, and follow your heart.” She smiled at Rose as she said that last part, as if she’d somehow heard their conversation about how to properly fold the map.

“We have to...let the map go, then,” Rose said slowly. “I think I understand.” She took the map, walked to the railing, and then abruptly dropped the paper into the water. 

“What? No!” Kaydel gasped. “Rose, what have you done? That map is—”

Kaydel didn’t get to finish, because they all realized that once again, of course Rose knew what she was doing. She’d guessed — rightly — that the instructions to let go meant to give up the map, and the fish imagery on the paper symbolized dropping the map into the water. 

As soon as the map hit the water, it transformed into a glowing spark of light that shot across the sea. The _Sea Falcon_ followed it, picking up speed until the ship was traveling so fast it was barely touching the waves at all. It was more than a little disconcerting, but there was no way to slow the ship down now. 

In the distance, Ben heard what he thought was rumbling thunder, and it wasn’t until they’d traveled closer that he realized what it truly was: a waterfall as massive and unending as the ice wall itself. And they were headed straight for it. 

“Turn this ship around!” Kaydel screamed in terror as they shot across the ocean towards the cliff. Wedge gripped the ship’s wheel as hard as he could, but it was spinning wildly out of his control. 

“We’re all gonna die!” Snap moaned, and Ben glanced frantically over at Kira, who was inexplicably still calm. She seemed to think this was all part of the plan?

“This cannot be right!” Kaydel insisted, but Kira did nothing, standing stoically at the bow of the ship, facing the waterfall. 

“We’re right where we need to be,” she assured them. “Over the edge, and into the unknown.”

“What if she’s wrong?” Kaydel hissed, and all Finn could do was shake his head. 

“Well, it’s too late to try anything else. There’s no way we can stop the ship. Let’s just hope this is what Mother Talzin actually had in mind.”

In the few seconds remaining to them, Ben grabbed Rey, and they held onto the mast (and each other) as tightly as possible. Even if the ship was lost, they wouldn’t lose each other. Although the roar of the water had long since drowned out their voices, they didn’t need words to remind each other of their love. 

The _Sea Falcon_ tipped, just for a moment dancing on the edge of the waterfall. Ben shut his eyes, not daring to look down as the ship tumbled over the edge of the world.

***

When Poe Dameron woke up, he fully expected to be dead. 

After all, no one could survive being swallowed alive by a kraken, right? 

And yet...when he finally opened his eyes and blinked, finding himself surrounded by a blinding bright sea of whiteness, he realized he didn’t _feel_ dead. 

He’d expected the afterlife to be a place of peace and beauty, where he transcended his old self and became something new. Instead, pretty much every part of his body ached, and he currently smelled like rotten fish and stagnant water — exactly what one would anticipate after being vomited out of the belly of a giant sea creature.

However, if Poe wasn’t dead and this wasn’t the afterlife, then where the hell was he? 

At the moment, he appeared to be standing in the middle of a desert wasteland, with endless miles of bleak white sand all around him. The sky was a dull gray, and the sun beat down on him harshly, already making him sweat. He could start walking and try to figure out where he was, but there didn’t really appear to be anywhere to walk to. 

“I really, really hate this,” Poe muttered, and then started walking anyway, because it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. Maybe this was some cruel joke from Davy Jones. Poe wasn’t actually dead, but this sure as hell wasn’t living. He sincerely hoped he wouldn’t end up in this state of limbo forever. 

“You know, you’re really just wasting your time.”

Poe was so startled by the deep, sudden voice that he felt like he was going to jump straight out of his own skin. He whirled around, and found an unusual man standing behind him, the man’s arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. His posture was not unlike Poe’s typical pose, which he found annoying. 

The man had a pale, blanched face, the same sort of skin tone as Mother Talzin, and he’d painted his face with sharp red stripes. He was wearing long, dark-colored robes that looked as if they’d be way too sweltering for the desert climate, but unlike Poe, he didn’t seem to be sweating. 

“Who are you?” Poe asked grumpily. He knew he should probably be thankful he wasn’t trapped out here alone, but at the moment, he wasn’t feeling particularly friendly. He wasn’t sure he liked the other man’s attitude.

The strange visitor chuckled, his amusement carrying an unmistakable tinge of darkness. “Davy Jones was right: you are an overconfident fool. But, as I have nothing else occupying my time at the moment, I will help you.”

The man swirled his fingers in the air, and out of a cloud of red mist appeared two flat stones for them to sit on. “Welcome to the World Between Worlds, Poe Dameron. You may call me ‘The Son.’”

“The...what?” Poe stared at the other man incredulously for a second, and then it all made sense. Hadn’t Mother Talzin told him the guardians of the World Between Worlds were called the Father, the Daughter, and the Son? 

“Yes, you have heard of me,” the Son confirmed before Poe could actually speak, and Poe didn’t like the thought of the Son just being able to read his mind. “You don’t know nearly as much as you think you do, though. Mother Talzin didn’t tell you everything.”

Poe wasn’t exactly surprised to hear that. He knew that Mother Talzin was a woman who loved her secrets, and she never liked revealing more than she had to. Even though Poe had made a bargain with her, he’d always known there were things she’d kept hidden from him.

“Mother Talzin is supposed to be one of the guardians here, isn’t she?” Poe asked. “I mean, it makes sense: Mother, Father, Daughter, and Son.”

The Son smiled, actually looking impressed. “Very good — maybe you are smarter than Davy Jones gave you credit for. It is true that Mother Talzin was once just ‘Mother.’ However, she got tired of her guardian duties and left us all here so she could go to the mortal world and show off her powers there. She founded a coven of witches known as the Nightsisters, and because of her magic, they practically worshipped her. I’ve always been annoyed that she didn’t take me with her, or at least share her secret of how she permanently crossed from the World Between Worlds to the mortal realm. Life seems a lot more exciting there, even if her presence is throwing everything off balance.”

Mother Talzin had definitely NOT told Poe any of that, and he felt irritation simmering inside him. He supposed he’d deduced this subconsciously long ago, but Mother Talzin sounded like a powerful being who wanted to come to Earth not to help people, but to play with them like toys. 

“Look, I’m definitely not what you’d call a friend to Mother Talzin,” Poe said. “I’ve helped her, and she’s helped me, but I’m pretty sure I got the worse end of our deal. I certainly don’t trust her. All I really want is to get back to the mortal world, stop Davy Jones, and save my friends.”

“Believe it or not, that’s exactly what I want for you too,” the Son said, and Poe blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that kind of response. _What’s the catch?_ he couldn’t help wondering.

“Neither myself nor the other two guardians have ever liked Mother Talzin’s little ‘pet,’ Davy Jones,” the Son went on. “Since Mother Talzin made him immortal, he’s done nothing but wreck havoc in the mortal world _and_ the World Between Worlds. He never really dedicated himself to the job she assigned him of ferrying souls through the World Between Worlds into the afterlife. He needs to be destroyed, and that’s why I’m saving you and sending you back to Earth.”

Poe blinked again, even more surprised. He’d thought that Mother Talzin might have been the one who saved him from actually dying in the maw of the kraken. Now he was getting pulled into a war between these powerful supernatural guardians, and the thought made him more than a little wary. 

“Are you planning to use me and my friends as pawns then, just like Mother Talzin?” he asked.

“Yes,” the Son replied rather bluntly, and Poe supposed he was thankful the other man hadn’t even attempted to lie. “Yet unlike Mother Talzin, I will never try to deceive you. I’ll be up front about my plans and my goals. Which is why I’m going to tell you the complete truth about what will happen when you kill Jones — something I’m certain Mother Talzin conveniently planned to let you find out for yourself.”

The Son conjured another cloud of red mist, which he then formed into an image of Jones’ heart. “In order to kill Davy Jones, you’ll have to stab the heart with the Cursed Dagger,” the Son explained, and Poe felt a sudden weight in his hand. He looked down and saw an obsidian dagger with a jeweled red hilt had suddenly appeared, clutched in his fist. 

“I’ve embedded my magic in this dagger,” the Son added. “You’ll need that extra power to kill an immortal creature like Jones; a common weapon forged from ordinary metal would not be enough. I’ve also enchanted the dagger with a spell that, once you’ve killed Jones, will open a portal between the mortal realm and the World Between Worlds, and Mother Talzin will be sucked through it and will be forced to return here to take up her duties as a guardian once again.”

“That sounds simple enough,” Poe said, turning over the dagger in his hands and running his fingers across the smooth metal surface. “I mean, the devil’s always in the details, but I managed to break the curse on Isla de Muerta, even though that seemed impossible. I can do this.”

“I believe you can — I wouldn’t be helping you otherwise,” the Son said pragmatically, the cloud of mist disappearing as he folded his hands and rested them on his lap. “However, when it comes to magic, there’s always a cost to be paid. You know this from your own dealings with Mother Talzin. She cannot be returned to the World Between Worlds until Jones is dead; the magic required to open a portal like that demands a powerful sacrifice. And once Jones is dead, someone will need to take his place.”

It took Poe a moment to realize what the Son was saying, and he felt a growing sense of foreboding as he watched the Son watching _him_ process this revelation. 

“That’s right — the World Between Worlds still needs a shepherd to ferry the souls to the afterlife,” the Son said. “Whoever stabs Jones’ heart will automatically become the next shepherd.”

“You mean, they’ll be immortal?” Poe asked, wanting to make damn well sure he was understanding this correctly. His immediate reaction was anger towards Mother Talzin for trying to hide this detail from him. But then, as he thought about it more, he decided that just maybe...paying this price wouldn’t be so bad. The immortal Poe Dameron — it had kind of a nice ring to it, didn’t it?

“The role does come with its benefits,” the Son said, his lips pressed into a thin smile. Once again, he’d peered into Poe’s mind and read his thoughts. “But you shouldn’t think of it as an immortal paradise. You’ll spend most of your time here in the World Between Worlds, far away from your friends. You’ll only be allowed to set foot on land once in a great while. It’s noble work, but lonely.”

“Oh.” The shiny allure of that idea was quickly fading. Becoming an immortal pirate captain did sound thrilling, but he didn’t like the thought of being separated from his friends, and especially Finn. 

However, if there was one thing Poe was good at, it was compartmentalizing, and ignoring information he didn’t like. He’d worry about how to solve the problem of finding a replacement for Davy Jones later. For now, it was enough that this guardian of the World Between Worlds had given him the weapon he needed to stop Jones from terrorizing the Caribbean. And to force Mother Talzin to finally take responsibility for the games she’d been playing. 

“Looks like we have a deal,” Poe remarked, reaching out to shake the Son’s hand and hoping he wasn’t making another huge mistake. Ideally, this was the last bargain he’d have to make with an otherworldly creature; at least the Son had been up front about all the details of their bargain, unlike Mother Talzin. “How exactly am I supposed to get back to the mortal realm, though?”

“Your friends should be coming to retrieve you very soon,” the Son said. (Poe had no idea what that meant or how the hell his friends would accomplish that, but at this point he just accepted it.) “Mother Talzin helped them find you, but don’t let that supposedly benevolent act fool you. She’s still playing her own game here, and she’ll only help you as long as you’re useful to her. While you may need her to stop Jones, she never has been, and never will be, your ally.”

“Believe me, I know,” Poe replied. There were many other questions he could have asked the Son, but he sensed his time with the guardian had come to a close. He could feel the wind picking up, scattering the sand at his feet and trying to push him towards the horizon. He thought he could see a faint shimmering in the distance, from waves washing up against the sand. He was pretty sure there hadn’t been an ocean when he looked before, but he decided there was no point in trying to explain it. 

“Good luck, Captain Dameron,” the Son said with a wry smile. “I hope we’ll meet again someday. I find that I actually enjoy your company.”

Poe didn’t trust the Son enough to say the same, but he knew better than to risk offending a magical guardian. So he simply smiled back, saluted, and then turned and started running towards that shimmering on the horizon. He could feel the air shifting and changing around him as he ran, and he could tell something was coming. 

He reached the shoreline, the sun reflecting off the water so brightly it hurt to look at it. He shielded his eyes as best he could and tried to peer into the distance, wondering how and where his friends would appear. 

Apparently, he should have been watching the skies rather than the seas; after all, the World Between Worlds did not follow the normal laws of nature or of logic. He heard a loud roaring from somewhere above him, and looked up just in time to see the _Sea Falcon_ quite literally falling from the sky. 


	20. Up is Down

Poe Dameron barely had enough time to throw his arms around his head and try to shield his face before the _Sea Falcon_ came crashing down out of the sky. 

It slammed into the water with such force that it created a huge wave that nearly knocked Poe off his feet and left his hair and clothes soaking wet. 

Spitting out a mouthful of seawater, Poe looked up in annoyance and then immediately felt his irritation subside when he saw the look of pure joy in Finn’s eyes as his first mate cried out, “Poe! You’re alive!”

The crew of the _Sea Falcon_ quickly disembarked the ship and then surrounded Poe with what was probably best described as a “chaotic group hug.” Although everyone was trying to clap him on the back and ask him questions all at the same time, he didn’t care how overwhelming it was. When the kraken had swallowed him, he’d been convinced he was going to die and that he’d never see these people again. It was so, so good to see all of their faces — even if they had nearly crushed him with his own ship. 

“Can you believe we’re all just standing here in the World Between Worlds?” Poe asked, gesturing to the bright white desert around them. “A bunch of ragtag pirates and ne’er-do-wells! This is going to make one hell of a story to share in the taverns on Tortuga. We’re going to be legends!”

“Well, first we have to figure out a way to get _back_ to Tortuga,” Wedge interjected, and Poe’s enthusiasm faded just the tiniest bit. 

“Wait...you mean, Mother Talzin didn’t give you a way to get back? I thought she was the one who sent you here.”

“Yes, she did,” Ben confirmed, but Poe couldn’t fail to notice the slight hesitation in his voice. “Sort of. She gave us a map that we had to fold into this origami bridge with strange directions written on it that didn’t make a lot of sense. We followed all of the instructions, and they got us here. But we don’t exactly...uh...know how to get back. All the map left us with was the phrase ‘up is down’?”

_What the hell does THAT even mean?_ Poe’s enthusiasm faded still further. Maybe he shouldn’t have started celebrating so enthusiastically, thinking all his problems were solved the second his friends showed up. Wasn’t there always, _always_ a catch? 

“We’ll worry about that in a minute,” Poe said, trying to project more confidence than he felt. That was his job as captain, wasn’t it? “At least now we’re all together, and none of us are dead. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way out of this place. Are you sure Mother Talzin didn’t give you any other hints? No other information that could prove useful?”

“All she said was that she couldn’t come to the World Between Worlds herself, so it had to be us who rescued you,” Finn replied. “She seemed fairly confident we could do it, though.” 

Poe raised an eyebrow. “Did she now? Well, I’ve learned some interesting information about Mother Talzin here in the World Between Worlds. Turns out, she is supposed to be one of the guardians, along with the Father, Daughter, and Son she previously told us about. I met the Son, actually. He shared a lot of intriguing details about Mother Talzin that she apparently tried to keep hidden from me. Ultimately, she might be just as much of a problem as Davy Jones.”

Finn sighed. “I guess I should have assumed that Mother Talzin’s goal was always to serve herself, even when she appeared to be helping us.”

“The Son told me that in order to kill Davy Jones, we have to stab his heart with this Cursed Dagger,” Poe explained, producing the weapon with the jeweled hilt that the Son had given him. “When that happens, it will also open a portal that will return Mother Talzin to the World Between Worlds. Apparently she was never meant to live in our reality, and the other guardians are tired of her playing her capricious games in the mortal realm.”

“I assume she won’t appreciate being sent back to the World Between Worlds,” Rey said, and Poe laughed without amusement. 

“That’s why I’m not going to tell her about my little meeting with the Son,” he said. “Mother Talzin has helped us, but she’s also very, very dangerous, and she’s not a good person. I’m not sure that I completely trust the Son, either, but I do believe his warning that in order for our world to be safe, Davy Jones has to die and Mother Talzin needs to be returned to the realm she belongs in. There’s just one other small wrinkle we have to consider...whoever stabs the heart and kills Jones has to take his job.”

“They have to what?” Finn stared at Poe, just as shocked to hear this revelation as Poe had felt when he’d first heard it from the Son. “You mean they become an immortal shepherd who transports souls to the afterlife?”

“Something like that — but we don’t need to discuss that in depth right now,” Poe said, waving his hand as if he could just sweep aside everyone’s concerns. (He wished it was that simple.) “First we just have to get the heart back from Mother Talzin. I assume you’ve already delivered it to her in her swamp?”

Now it was his friends’ turn to pause before delivering news they thought might be unpleasant to hear. Poe didn’t like the suddenly nervous looks on their faces. 

“We...well...we did take the chest to Mother Talzin,” Kaydel said, not quite looking him in the eyes. “But...the heart wasn’t inside it.”

“What?” Poe’s relief that Mother Talzin didn’t have the heart was quickly drowned out by his panic due the fact the heart was now apparently missing in action. “What the hell happened to it? I risked my life to give you that bloody chest so you could—”

“Hux took it,” Rey interrupted, and Poe saw the fiery smolder of anger and resentment burning in her eyes. “He tricked us, stole the heart, and gave it to his father so he could get his job back.”

Poe honestly wasn’t sure which situation would be worse: Mother Talzin possessing the heart so she could keep fancying herself an all-powerful goddess, or the heart belonging to Admiral Brendol Hux, who was just as much a power-hungry maniac, except without supernatural powers. Poe wasn’t exactly sure what the Admiral planned to use Davy Jones for, but it definitely wouldn’t be good. He could envision the Admiral waging war across the Caribbean, with Davy Jones and the kraken as his unstoppable weapons that crushed any hope of resistance. 

“Well, I’m feeling significantly less optimistic now than when you all first showed up,” Poe said dryly. “But, as I said before — none of us are dead, and at least Davy Jones isn’t running around freely with the heart, doing whatever the hell he wants. Maybe this will all work out for the best in the end; it will probably be easier to get the heart from the Admiral than it would have been to steal it from Mother Talzin. Our basic plan remains the same: find the heart, stab it, get rid of Jones, and send Mother Talzin back to the World Between Worlds.”

“But who’s going to take Jones’ place?” Ben asked. “That seems like an important—”

“Like I said — we’ll discuss that later,” Poe said, trying to make it sound like he was in control of that situation, even though he wasn’t. “Anybody have any ideas of how to get out of here as soon as possible?”

“I know Mother Talzin said your magic compass wouldn’t really work in the World Between Worlds,” Finn said. “But maybe we could try it anyway? Just to see if it gives us any kind of direction.”

Poe threw up his hands. “Unfortunately, I don’t have it anymore. It must have gotten lost when I was swallowed by the kraken and transported here.”

Poe heard someone awkwardly clearing their throat, and his eyes shot over to Benjamin Swann, who looked oddly guilty. 

“It’s actually...well...it’s not actually lost,” Ben said, slowly reaching into his pocket and producing — to everyone’s great surprise — Poe’s magic compass. 

“Where did you get that?” Poe exclaimed, snatching the compass away from Ben. While he was certainly grateful to have it returned to him, he was suddenly suspicious of how it had ended up in Ben’s hands.

“I’m really sorry — I...I knew I shouldn’t have done it,” Ben said, as everyone’s eyes bored into him. “When we were running away from Jones’ crew on Isla Cruces, the compass fell out of your pocket, and I...I took it. I know it was wrong to steal it, but I felt I needed it, so I could trade it to the Admiral in exchange for Rey’s pardon.”

Poe felt shock, betrayal, and anger bubbling up within him, and he stared at Ben, unable to believe what he was hearing. He’d known Ben was desperate to save Rey, and a part of him couldn’t necessarily blame the young man for what he’d done. But these people were all supposed to be his trusted friends, and he’d tried to warn Ben just how stupid it would be to give the Admiral a powerful tool like the magic compass. 

“Well, at least you didn’t get a chance to actually hand it to the Admiral,” Poe snapped, shoving the compass back into his own pocket, where he’d be keeping a much closer eye on it in the future. “Can you imagine if he had Davy Jones’ heart AND this compass? We’d be in the middle of an even worse disaster than we are now!”

Poe was sorely tempted to march back onto the _Sea Falcon_ and maroon Ben here, but he knew Rey wouldn’t stand for that, even though right now she was staring at Ben with a look of deep disappointment on her face. 

Poe felt Finn’s hand slide onto his shoulder, his first mate attempting to calm him. “Ben said he was sorry, and I don’t think that now is the best time to be holding onto grudges,” Finn said softly. “It’s going to take all of us working together to successfully stop Davy Jones, the Admiral, _and_ Mother Talzin. Besides, Ben could have kept hiding the compass, but he decided to confess and return it. We can all forgive him, Poe...can’t we?”

Poe’s temper was still running far too hot for him to verbally accept Ben’s apology, but deep down, he knew Finn was right. This situation was all one huge mess, and everyone had made mistakes. Including himself. Heaven knew how many times Finn had to forgive him for doing something stupid. 

“Fine,” Poe said reluctantly, letting out a heavy sigh. “Let’s just get on the _Sea Falcon_ and start sailing. Maybe one of the guardians here will take pity on us and send us back to the real world. But no more stealing and backstabbing, you hear? Between James Snoke, Armitage Hux, and now you too, Ben, I’ve about had my fill.”

***

Rey stood with Wedge at the helm of the _Sea Falcon_ , her heart such a confusing jumble of emotions that she had no idea how to even begin sorting them out and then making sense of them. 

They’d saved Poe — that was good. And they were all back together on the _Sea Falcon_ — that was good too. But they were also seemingly stuck in the World Between Worlds with no way to get out, and they’d learned that Mother Talzin was not really their ally. If they ever got back to the real world, they truly would be alone in their quest to stop Davy Jones. Could they actually do it?

Rey also wasn’t sure what to do about Ben and his unexpected confession. She’d known something was haunting him ever since they’d left Isla Cruces, but she’d mistakenly assumed that was just general concern for the situation they were in. 

She knew he loved her and would do anything to save her, but it didn’t sit right with her that he’d deceived Poe, and her as well. Had he been planning to confess to her eventually, or just secretly trade the compass to the Admiral for her freedom? 

Rey didn’t want to be hounded by the Admiral for the rest of her life; she wanted to enjoy a peaceful happily ever after with Ben. But not if it came at the price of betraying a friend. 

On top of all that, Rey kept wondering what to do about her mother. She and Kira had parted abruptly on Isla Cruces, and she’d grieved over the fact she’d presumably never be able to make peace with her mother. Yet now that Kira was back, she found she had no idea what to say to her. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole ‘up is down’ thing,” Finn said, walking up behind her and interrupting her thoughts. 

Rey tried to turn around and put on a brave face, but it didn’t quite work, and Finn quickly saw through her façade. 

“You doing okay, Rey?” he asked quietly, pulling her aside. Rey was sure Wedge could still hear every word of their conversation, but he stared straight ahead and pretended not to see them, trying to give them some privacy.

Rey bit her lip, trying to reign in her churning emotions. “No,” she answered honestly. “I know I should be thinking about how to get out of here, and what to do with Davy Jones. I shouldn’t be preoccupied by my own thoughts right now. They just keep…”

“Intruding anyway?” Finn finished gently. “I understand, Rey. I don’t want to be too forward, but I assume you’re thinking about Ben and your mom.”

Rey nodded. There was no point in hiding anything from Finn. 

“What Ben did was wrong, and I know it hurts,” Finn continued. “You’re frustrated by his deception, and I don’t blame you. But I can see by the look in his eyes that he really is sorry. And he did the right thing by giving the compass back to Poe. 

“As for your mom, that’s more complicated. I don’t know what the right answer is there. She hurt you so deeply you’re probably always going to feel that pain. But I think you should talk to her. Whatever you do or don’t want to say is your business — just start the conversation. Once we leave the World Between Worlds, she’ll be gone from your life forever.”

Rey knew Finn was right. Mother Talzin had said that Kira could never return to the mortal world and would have to stay behind in this strange “in between.” If Rey wanted to talk to her, it would have to be now. 

The “sun” appeared to be setting beneath the horizon in the World Between Worlds (Rey wondered if it was just an illusion, since this place operated outside the normal patterns of nature). The sunset painted the water an eerie shade of bright, bloody red, and the sky was an unnatural shade of orange, like an overripe piece of fruit that was just starting to rot. Rey had a feeling they needed to leave the World Between Worlds before the sun actually went down; she didn’t know what would happen in this place “after dark,” and she didn’t really want to find out. 

Aware that their time was growing short, Rey had just made up her mind to finally go talk to her mother, when she was interrupted by a sudden spark of inspiration from the ship’s cook, Snap. 

Snap had prepared a “toast” to welcome Poe back to the _Sea Falcon_ , and naturally the beverages he’d given the crew members contained a fair amount of rum (Rey had abstained, too weighed down by her thoughts). Rey wondered if people processed substances differently in the World Between Worlds, because Snap and a number of the other crew members were already rather drunk after only one glass of rum. 

Apparently, the rum also appeared to have opened up some new pathway in Snap’s mind, because he stood at the bow and proclaimed that he had just thought of a way to exit the World Between Worlds. 

“The map said that ‘up is down,’” Snap declared, speaking a little too loudly. “That doesn’t make a damn bit of sense to me, at least not at first. But if you think about it...Rose said that phrase was printed on the _bottom_ of the map. So what if in order to escape from the World Between Worlds, we have to transform ‘up’ into ‘down’? We need to turn the ship upside down!”

After taking a moment to recover from the outlandish suggestion he’d just heard, Poe gave Snap a withering look and snatched the now-empty tankard of rum from the cook’s hand. “Snap, I’m sorry, but that is literally the worst idea I have ever heard in my entire life. How does that solve anything? No more rum-inspired suggestions from you — please, drink in silence.”

Snap’s face reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and aggravation. “Well, pardon me for trying to help! Do you have a better idea?”

“I’m working on it,” Poe shot back. “I’ve almost got something.” (Rey could tell that he actually didn’t.)

“I think you should listen to Snap.”

Kira spoke up so quietly and no one was paying attention; Rey was seemingly the only person who heard. 

“Everyone, listen!” she shouted. “Kira has something to say.” Her voice caught on the word “Kira”; she’d almost said "mom," but still couldn’t quite make herself use the word. 

“We can’t be here after sunset,” Kira said, confirming Rey’s earlier suspicions. “You don’t want to get caught in the doldrums of the World Between Worlds. Mother Talzin should have told you this, but time passes differently here than in your own world. Back in Port Royal, a month has already gone by.”

“But how do we turn the bloody ship ‘upside down’?” Poe asked, ignoring Snap’s smug grin. “Can you just use your magic, or...something?”

“I’ll do what I can to help,” Kira replied. “But you all have to be the ones to free yourselves from this place. This is your quest. I’m still just a harbinger.”

“Very helpful,” Poe muttered, but he didn’t antagonize Kira Turner further. None of them really knew what the full extent of the woman’s powers here in the World Between Worlds were, and while she was far more patient than Mother Talzin, it still wasn’t wise to push her.

“We need to get the ship off balance,” Wedge said. “So we can tip it over more easily. Cut loose all the cargo belowdecks. Toss the anchor overboard.”

“Maybe we can all form a line and run quickly back and forth across the deck so we can rock the ship!” Snap suggested. Rey could tell Poe wanted to chastise him again, but instead the pirate captain just sighed heavily. 

“You know what? Why not, Snap — at this point, I’ll try anything.”

They all lined up against the railing on the ship’s starboard side, and Rey could hear Finn giggling slightly at the sheer ridiculousness of what they were about to try, despite the general seriousness of their situation. 

“Everyone, on the count of three!” Poe commanded, looking highly doubtful this was going to accomplish anything. “One...two…” He paused, and cursed quietly, “I hope this bloody works.” Then at the top of his lungs, he hollered, “Three!”

They all took off across the deck, running to the port side, then quickly turning around and running back the other way. They repeated this pattern, again and again and again, until Rey’s legs ached and her lungs burned. But they did not dare stop, because Snap’s plan actually did appear to be working. The ship was rocking back and forth in the water, and soon they were able to get to the deck to a 45 degree angle. 

“We’re actually doing it!” Poe cried out, seeming more surprised than anyone. It was probably for the best that Snap was too out of breath to reply with a snarky comment. 

It was getting harder and harder for Rey to keep her footing, as the ship rocked more and more violently. They were getting close to actually tipping the ship. 

“One more time!” Kira encouraged them, and they all ran towards the opposite side of the deck and grabbed onto the railing as the momentum they’d generated finally turned the ship on its side. 

“Hold on!” Poe yelled, because at this point, that was all they had the power to do. The ship tipped over, the starboard side slamming into the water with a thunderous crash. Then the _Sea Falcon_ flipped all the way over, the deck plunged underwater and the mast now pointing straight down.

Rey had to fight not to surrender to the panic that gripped her, and her lungs ached for air. Her body screamed at her to open her mouth and breathe, but she knew she’d only get a mouthful of water. What if this whole “flipping the ship” gambit didn’t work? What if all they’d succeeded in doing was trapping themselves beneath the ship so they could helplessly drown? Could you actually die here in the World Between Worlds? Would their disappearances from the real world remain an unsolved mystery? Ben’s uncle and Rose’s family would grieve for the rest of their lives, never knowing what had really happened to their loved ones. Maybe Rey should have—

_Rey._

Rey looked over and saw her mother floating next to her, Kira’s body starting to shimmer with a strange blue light. Her mother couldn’t physically talk underwater, of course, but Rey could still hear Kira’s voice inside her head. 

_This is going to work,_ Kira promised her, and Rey believed her, because she was too afraid not to. If this didn’t work, they were doomed. 

_I will have to leave you soon,_ Kira continued. _I only have enough power to stop time for this one tiny moment, so we can exist in this space together and say our goodbyes. I’m so sorry for all the unforgivable ways I’ve hurt you, Rey. I’m sorry for abandoning you as a child. I’m sorry for making you feel as though you weren’t worthy of love. The greatest regret in my life is that I didn’t get to watch you grow up. But I’m so, so proud of the fierce woman and warrior that you’ve become._

If Rey had been standing on the deck right now, tears would have filled her eyes. But the fact she was hanging from the railing of a submerged ship muted her reactions. All she could do was stare sorrowfully at her mother, feeling the time slipping away far too quickly. 

_Goodbye, Rey,_ Kira said. _Don’t worry about me. I’ll be safe here in the World Between Worlds. And for the first time in my life, I’m at peace. I can do good here, I think. I’ve been talking to the guardians. I’m glad Mother Talzin isn’t manipulating me anymore._

“Mom, I...I...forgive you.” Rey tried to choke out the words, but they came out as a garbled mess as she choked on seawater. 

Panic bubbled up inside her again, this time hotter and faster, as she realized her mother was going to disappear without hearing Rey speak those important words. 

But then they locked eyes right as Kira was fading, and Rey could see her mother smiling. Somehow, Kira had understood. 

_I love you, Rey,_ she said, and then she was gone in a brilliant burst of blue light. At that same moment, a loud roar filled Rey’s ears, and the _Sea Falcon_ dove down through the water so fast she nearly lost her grip on the railing. 

Yet just as the map had hinted, they were now falling “up,” rather than down. Soon the _Sea Falcon_ popped out of whatever portal it had fallen through, right side up in what appeared to be the balmy waters of the Caribbean. 

They had returned to the real world.

*** 

Armitage Hux had known he’d made a mistake as soon as he walked out of his father’s office, after giving the Admiral the heart of Davy Jones. 

He’d worked so hard to convince himself that he was doing the right thing — the noble thing — but in the end, he’d been nothing but a fool. He’d created a monster just as wicked and dangerous as Davy Jones himself. 

The Admiral had wasted no time securing his control over the British Navy; who was going to oppose this man’s rise to power when he had an immortal being like Davy Jones and a terrifying kraken at his beck and call? The Admiral would not dare to challenge the king of England himself (at least, not yet). But he certainly behaved like the monarch of his own little kingdom of Port Royal. 

He began ruthlessly wiping out any pirate who came within the vicinity of Port Royal, and even sank and pillaged regular merchant ships, (falsely) claiming they had ties to piracy. Some of the ships tried to fight back, but they were no match for Jones’ _Flying Dutchman_ and the maw of the kraken. 

Davy Jones hated serving the Admiral, but he had no other choice. Brendol Hux had Jones’ heart in his control, and as long as that remained the case, Jones was compelled to do everything the Admiral said. 

Hux realized he’d fallen victim to his own delusions about his father’s true motives. He’d hoped his father would use Jones’ powers sparingly, and that his ultimate goal would be to protect the people in his care. Yet the Admiral cared about nothing other than his own lust for power, and now that Hux had given him the heart, there was apparently no way to stop him. 

The Admiral claimed that he’d welcomed Hux back into his good graces. Hux’s military rank had been restored, and he’d been given command of a new ship called the _Equalizer_. The Admiral said the ship’s name served as a symbol of Hux’s mission to bring peace and prosperity to the Caribbean. What the Admiral really wanted was to wipe out any form of resistance. Hux was just another tool in his father’s collection, and the Admiral loathed his bastard son as much as he ever had. 

Hux had tried to rebel against his father once, refusing to carry out a particularly cruel order. He hadn’t even blinked when the Admiral threatened to run him through with a sword. Yet the Admiral knew all too well how to really get under Hux’s skin. Somehow, he’d found out about his son’s attachment to Rose Tico, and he took the entire Tico family hostage and threatened to kill them if Hux did not follow all of his commands. 

Hux felt utterly helpless, and every night he went to sleep feeling like he was drowning under an ocean of guilt from all terrible things he’d allowed to happen. He wanted to stop his father, to put right the mistake he’d made, but he didn’t know how. He hadn’t heard any news about his friends since sneaking away from the _Sea Falcon_ that night. Davy Jones claimed to have fed Poe Dameron to the kraken, but Hux didn’t want to accept that. Poe was a survivor; surely he’d find a way to come out on top.

Hux hoped that Rey, Ben, Rose, Finn, and the other crew members of the _Sea Falcon_ had enlisted Mother Talzin’s help to stop the Admiral and Davy Jones. Yet more than a month had passed with no sign of the _Sea Falcon_ , and the Admiral declared it must have sunk during a tropical storm. 

Hux refused to believe that his friends were dead, but if they were still alive, where were they? He knew they wouldn’t have just abandoned their mission to stop Davy Jones. Maybe they were trapped somewhere. Maybe Mother Talzin had betrayed them; he’d never been fully sure they could trust her. Maybe, when it came to it, she was no better than Davy Jones. 

Hux heard a sudden knock on the door to his cabin aboard the _Equalizer_ , and he quickly splashed some water on his face and slicked back his hair before calling, “Come in!” He was trying to put on a brave face for his men, who were as miserable serving under the Admiral as he was. If Hux could do nothing else, he would try to keep these men safe. 

Lieutenant Peavey saluted him crisply, snapping to attention as he stepped into the captain’s cabin. Peavey had once been one of the Admiral’s most loyal lackeys, but apparently the Admiral had now gone too far for even Peavey to justify. Hux had actually begun to view the older man as a friend. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt you,” Peavey said grimly, and Hux felt that all-too-familiar clenching in his stomach. He could tell Peavey had come to deliver news, and it wasn’t good. 

“What’s the trouble, Lieutenant?” Hux asked, not really wanting to know the answer but understanding that he must.

“We just received word from the Admiral,” Peavey said. “He has a new mission for us. Apparently, the _Sea Falcon_ has been spotted again.”

***

Poe wasn’t about to publicly complain about their current circumstances. They’d made it back to the mortal realm without too much trouble, all things considered, and he didn’t want to risk angering the Son, who had given Poe his life back and agreed to help him deal with the threat of Davy Jones and Mother Talzin. 

Still, Poe might have preferred if, when dropping back out of the World Between Worlds, they’d been deposited somewhere a little farther from Port Royal. 

Since they were currently floating in the middle of the ocean, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where they were. However, Poe knew these Caribbean waters well, and his gut told him they were uncomfortably close to Port Royal. He doubted it would be long before they passed another ship, and it was more likely to be foe than friend. 

“What’s our next move, Cap’n?” Wedge asked, and Poe took out his spyglass, scanning the horizon. Obviously, their first step was to find out exactly where the heart was hidden and then steal it. Yet as brash as Poe’s behavior often was, even he wasn’t stupid enough to sail right up to the harbor in Port Royal and kick down the door to the Admiral’s office.

“We need more information,” Poe replied, and to his credit, Wedge raised his eyebrow only slightly. Poe wasn’t exactly known for thinking in-depth before he decided to act. “We can’t approach the Admiral just yet. But maybe we can get to someone in his inner circle that we can compel to give us some information.”

“Commodore Armitage Hux.” Rey had a steely look in her eyes as she said the name, leaving no doubt about her current feelings towards the man. “I bet his father is sending him all around the Caribbean on various errands. Maybe we can kidnap him, and force him to give us some information.”

Poe could tell by the expression on Rey’s face that what she wanted to do even more than ask Hux questions was to punch him in the face. Poe could definitely relate to that sentiment; he’d spent many years dreaming about doing just that to James Snoke. 

Poe had plenty of things he wanted to yell at Armitage Hux himself, but he was a little concerned by how keen Rey seemed about this whole plan. If she started focusing more on her personal desire for revenge than their mission, that could turn her into a dangerously loose cannon. There was no telling what might get caught in the crossfire. 

He’d have Finn keep an eye on her during the confrontation to come, he decided. He would have asked Rose first, but he knew Hux’s betrayal had wounded her the most, and he wanted to give her the option of staying as far away from Hux as possible. Then again, she might be eager to punch him too. 

“I like that idea, Rey,” Poe finally said, slipping the spyglass back into his pocket. “I like it a lot. And I’ve got an idea that should entice Armitage Hux to sail right into our trap.”


	21. The Brethren Court

Rey Turner crouched in the darkness on the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ , barely daring to breathe. The ship was floating listlessly in the Caribbean waters, and on this moonless night the stars were the only lights in the gloomy blackness.

The crew of the _Sea Falcon_ had done the best they could to make the ship appear abandoned, drifting just far enough away from Tortuga that the shore was no longer in sight. Wedge had sailed them past the pirate town earlier that day, close enough that someone would spot them and word would find its way back to Admiral Brendol Hux. 

They were taking a calculated risk here; of course there was always a chance that the Admiral would hear about a sighting of the _Sea Falcon_ and send Davy Jones to collect them. In that case, they were done for. However, Rey and Poe had agreed it seemed far more in character for the Admiral to send his son, Armitage Hux, on this particular errand. The Admiral would derive a certain sense of sadistic glee from forcing his son to hunt down the pirates who had once been his friends.

If everything went according to plan, Armitage Hux and his ship would sail right up to the _Sea Falcon_ , perplexed by the fact no one appeared to be on board. Hux’s men would board the ship to investigate, and that’s when Poe and his crew would spring their trap.

No blood would be shed tonight — they’d all agreed on that, because they wanted to send the message they weren’t heartless monsters like the Admiral. However, if Rey had an opportunity to punch Hux in the face...well, it might be difficult to suppress that impulse. She was still fuming that he’d betrayed his friends and broken Rose’s heart. She hoped that he’d come to regret what he’d done, and realized how badly he’d mucked things up for the entire Caribbean. 

“How long do we have to wait like this?” Snap whispered from his hiding place somewhere not far from Rey.

She heard Poe immediately hiss back, “As long as it takes — now be quiet!”

Rey’s knees and back ached from crouching for so long, but she wanted to be in a position that would allow her to easily jump into action. Her sword was lying right next to her feet, her hand wrapped tightly around the hilt. 

After Poe had silenced Snap, the only sound in the darkness was the waves gently lapping against the ship. If Rey felt less on edge, the gentle rocking might have lulled her to sleep. 

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she guessed it was sometime after midnight when, in the distance, she spotted a soft yellow light bobbing on the water. 

_A lantern._

She glanced back at Poe, who was crouching right behind her, and he gave her a solemn nod. He’d spotted it too.

As the light drifted closer, Rey could hear the sound of voices floating on the breeze. The clipped, proper accents and distinct lack of cursing made her believe this was likely the Royal Navy, rather than another band of pirates. Due to Davy Jones’ constant raids, not many pirates were sailing the Caribbean waters these days; it was far too dangerous. 

The other ship sailed right up to the _Sea Falcon_ , and Rey could see a Union Jack flag hanging from the mast. The ship was definitely Royal Navy, and its name, written in fresh, shiny paint, was the “ _Equalizer_.”

“Captain Poe Dameron!” 

Someone called out to them from the deck of the Royal Navy ship, and Rey winced, recognizing the voice right away as belonging to Armitage Hux. She knew hearing that voice had to be painful for Rose, but her friend was hidden elsewhere on the ship, too far away to comfort. 

When there was no response, Hux continued, using his official, perfectly polished “I’m a Royal Navy officer” voice. 

“Captain Dameron, if you are indeed on board that ship, I order you to surrender at once, by order of His Majesty the king.”

Rey could practically hear Poe rolling his eyes behind her, but in spite of herself, Rey actually felt a little flicker of pity for Hux. Even though he was doing a pretty good job pretending to be a man dedicated to his mission, she could hear the misery seeping out of every word. He wasn’t happy about what his father was forcing him to do here.

“Perhaps they just abandoned the ship, Sir.” Rey thought the other voice sounded like Lieutenant Peavey, the man who had insisted on arresting Poe many months ago when they’d returned to Port Royal after breaking the curse on Isla de Muerta. 

“Poe would never leave the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Hux insisted, and Rey’s heart skipped just one beat. In order for their plan to work, Hux had to at least accept that the ship might be abandoned and come on board to investigate. She prayed he wouldn’t just do something drastic like set the ship on fire to try to flush them out. 

“These are difficult days for the, well, piratically inclined,” Peavey said. “Maybe Captain Dameron thought sailing such a recognizable ship was too risky. It may well be that the ship was abandoned weeks ago, and only happened to be spotted today.”

“You’re probably right, Lieutenant,” Hux replied, sounding deflated. “I’ll conduct a thorough search just in case, but I doubt we’ll find anything. Then we can haul this empty ship back to Port Royal, and hopefully seeing it will satiate at least some of my father’s bloodlust.”

Rey heard the sound of clomping boots, then a wooden board slamming onto the railing of the _Sea Falcon_ , forming a makeshift bridge between the two ships. Though the soldiers were carrying lanterns, Poe had made sure to hide his own crew in spots where the light wouldn’t reach. 

Rey could feel her muscles twitching with anticipation as she heard Commodore Hux’s feet hit the deck of the _Sea Falcon_ , and it took all of her self control not to charge at him and punch him right now. Poe had not yet given the signal to act, and she knew he’d be furious if one of his crew members jumped the gun. They would all have to be patient, even though every single second seemed as long as an eternity.

The footsteps grew louder, as Hux drew nearer to where Rey and Poe were hiding, and then suddenly the commodore gasped as he tripped on the thin, nearly invisible wire Poe had stretched across the deck. Hux crashed to the ground, and Rey immediately grabbed him, pulling the commodore to his feet and pointing a pistol at his head. 

“Nobody move!” Poe shouted, and Hux’s soldiers instantly obeyed, all of them freezing in place with eyes wide with surprise and dismay. The other members of the _Sea Falcon’s_ crew took this as their cue to jump out of the shadows, pointing their own weapons at Hux’s men. Of course none of the _Falcon’s_ crew planned to actually fire their pistols or strike with their swords, but the sailors from the Royal Navy did not know that. In their minds, they’d just been captured by a gang of remorseless, bloodthirsty pirates.

“I can’t believe I fell for that,” Hux moaned, and in the dim lantern light, Rey could see Poe grinning wickedly. 

“Well, I’m glad you did. This has to be the easiest act of pirating I’ve ever committed.”

“Are you going to slit our throats, toss us overboard, and steal our ship?” Hux asked defiantly, putting on a show of resistance because he knew his men were watching him closely. But then Rose stepped into the light, Hux locked eyes with her, and all the bravado rushed out him. The look in his eyes was pure anguish as he stared at Rose, and Rey was certain he’d now surrender without a fight. 

“Unfortunately yes, we are keeping the _Equalizer_ , and you probably do deserve to walk the plank,” Poe said. “But because I’m a better man than Davy Jones and your butcher of a father, I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’d like you to very nicely order all of your men to gather up the _Equalizer’s_ lifeboats and sail straight to shore, and not give us anymore trouble. If you do, we’ll use our cannons to bombard your ship.”

“We have cannons of our own,” Lieutenant Peavey tried to counter, but Poe just kept smiling. 

“Of course you do. That’s why I made sure to have one of my crew members sneak aboard your ship while we’ve been talking and disable all the cannons. She should be arriving back here any second now…”

Knowing how much Poe loved a well-timed display, Kaydel picked that moment to swing from a rope tied to the mast of the _Equalizer_ over to the _Sea Falcon_ , landing on the _Sea Falcon’s_ deck with a flourish. 

“Cannons disabled, Cap’n,” she pronounced.

“Damn you pirates,” Lieutenant Peavey grumbled, but Poe just shrugged. “That’s the deal I have to offer you — take it or leave it. Personally, I’d take it.”

Rey could tell Lieutenant Peavey’s pride was currently overruling his fear, but Hux had already recognized it was a lost cause. 

“Do as the pirate says, Lieutenant,” he said with a weary sigh. “It’s the only way out of this.”

“But the Admiral—”

“Won’t harm you,” Hux said. “He’ll place the blame for this entirely on me. And I deserve it. Let me be the only one who suffers here.”

Lieutenant Peavey obviously didn’t like this, but he was too much of a stickler for rules to disobey his superior officer. Instead, he saluted Hux, and then surrendered his weapon to Poe. The other soldiers followed his lead, and they all climbed aboard the lifeboats and set off towards shore. 

“What is to become of me, then?” Hux asked as he watched his soldiers fading away into the night. 

“Oh, you’re coming with us,” Poe said. “You’re going to help us get the heart from your father and kill Davy Jones.”

“My father’s too powerful,” Hux said, and Rey could see genuine fear flashing in his eyes. “He uses Jones to wipe out anyone he perceives as a threat.”

“So what, we just run away?” Rey snapped, and she saw Hux flinch painfully. “We’re always going to have a target on our backs as long as the Admiral and Jones are free to do whatever they bloody please all across the Caribbean. I’d rather fight and die trying to defend our freedom, than spend the rest of my life running from the monsters hunting me.”

She heard a few whoops and cheers from the other pirates, and Poe nodded his approval. 

“It’s time to fight, Hux,” Poe agreed. “And as much as it pains me to say it, we need your help. Help us stop your father. Help us save the world. It’s not just about Port Royal, or even the Caribbean anymore; if Jones is allowed to ravage the seas unchecked, he’ll spread his brand of terror across the whole world.”

In the end, it wasn’t Rey’s passionate words or even Poe’s grim warning that finally convinced Hux — it was Rose’s quiet “please.”

She faced Hux bravely, even though her heart was still breaking over what he’d done to her. She stared into his eyes and just said, “Please, Hux.” She didn’t have to add anything else; he understood the rest of her unspoken message. 

His shoulders sagged, and Rey sensed it was safe to release him. 

“If we’re going to do this, it can’t be just us on board the _Sea Falcon_ ,” Hux said quietly. “Is Mother Talzin—”

“We’re involving her as little as possible,” Poe replied bluntly. “Trust me — whatever help she’ll provide, we don’t want it.”

“What about your other...pirate comrades?” Hux asked. “Aren’t there more of you out there who will stand and fight? Other captains, other ships?”

“Well, pirates aren’t exactly the most self-sacrificial lot,” Finn said. “We might find a few who are crazy enough to join us, but we’ll never raise an army.”

“Unless…” Poe glanced down, his brow furrowed in thought. “There IS the Brethren Court.”

“The what?” Rey and Hux happened to ask at the exact same time. 

“It’s sort of a...loose alliance amongst pirates,” Poe said. Clearly even the phrase “loose alliance” was pushing it. “It’s a council that decides the rules all pirates are supposed to follow. Of course, the rules are really more like guidelines, but most pirates agree we need at least some standards to keep things from descending into complete chaos.”

Hux sniffed dismissively, an indication of what he thought about pirate “guidelines.” 

“Any captain of a pirate ship can sit on the council when a meeting is called,” Poe said. “The captains all have to vote before a new rule is passed. It has to be unanimous, so as you can imagine, not many laws are ratified because no one can agree on a damn thing. In fact, there hasn’t been a meeting of the Brethren Court in fifty years.”

“So how is this helpful?” Hux said, and while Rey wasn’t about to agree with the commodore publicly, she was thinking the same thing. 

“There is one loophole in the whole ‘unanimous vote’ requirement,” Poe said. “When they gather, the Brethren Court can elect a ‘pirate king,’ who is allowed to make one ruling without opposition. They can pass one law that has to be followed, declare war, excommunicate another member of the Brethren Court...well, you get the idea. In theory, this pirate king could command all the pirate captains to band together and fight Jones.”

This sounded like a pretty far-fetched plan — even for Poe Dameron — but right now it was probably the only thing they had. 

“Let’s do it, then,” Rey said with a nod. “Let’s summon the Brethren Court.”

“Good,” Poe replied. “I’ll get the message ready to send. Captain Rey Turner, please take command of your ship.”

It took Rey an awkwardly long moment of silence to process what Poe had just said. She turned around, catching a glimpse of Ben’s face, which was just as shocked as hers. 

“We have another ship in our fleet now,” Poe said, gesturing towards the _Equalizer_. “And it is, currently, without a captain. You’ve proven yourself a brave fighter and a good leader. And I don’t hate you, which is more than I can say about a lot of people.” (He glanced at Hux as he said this.) “The _Equalizer_ is yours, Rey. You can pick your own first mate, but I’d personally recommend Rose.”

“I...I…” Rey tried to force more words out of her mouth, but they wouldn’t come. When Poe had shared his plans about what he wanted to do with the _Equalizer_ , he hadn’t mentioned this. There were so many other people on board the _Sea Falcon_ right now that he could have given the _Equalizer_ to — worthier, far more experienced people. 

“You’ll still be under my command, of course,” Poe added. “So don’t get any delusions of grandeur or ideas about wandering off on your own. But when we sail into battle against the Admiral and Davy Jones, I want you at the helm.”

Rey’s face flushed bright red, and she found it hard to look anyone in the eyes right now. She still felt like she hadn’t earned this. Six months ago, she’d been a blacksmith’s assistant in Port Royal. Could she really do what Poe was asking of her?

Finn seemed to sense her confidence slipping, and he squeezed her shoulder, whispering, “You’ve got this.”

And then raising his voice so everyone on deck could hear, he called out, “Three cheers for Captain Turner!”

“Huzzah, huzzah, huzzah!” The other pirates raised their swords, and Rey tried to stand up just a little straighter, squaring her shoulders and putting on a brave face. She wondered if her mother could see her now, and if Kira Turner would be proud. She hoped she would be. 

***

Benjamin Swann had never felt more in love with Rey Turner — and, at the same time, never more afraid that he was going to lose her. 

He realized he hadn’t given much thought lately to what their lives would look like after they’d taken down the Admiral and Davy Jones. He’d always just assumed they’d go back to Port Royal, get married, and then live happily ever after. 

But what did “happily ever after” even look like? Did Rey still want to go back to Port Royal after all they’d been through? Had the wild, untamed seas of the Caribbean finally won her heart? Perhaps she’d never be happy unless she was at sea, in the same way as Poe and the other crew members of the _Sea Falcon_. 

Ben had watched the way Rey’s eyes shone as Poe named her captain of the _Equalizer_. There was self-doubt in her green-brown eyes too, even though there was no reason for that. Rey deserved that promotion within Poe’s crew. Like the pirate had said, she was a good fighter, and a good leader. She’d sail the _Equalizer_ right into the kraken’s maw if she knew that was what it would take to save the world. Ben sensed that this was where Rey truly belonged, and he was terrified she’d no longer need or want him beside her. 

Ben could tell she was still disappointed in him for stealing Poe’s compass, and he wished he’d never given into the impulse to steal the damned thing. Ironically, he’d taken the compass to win her freedom so they could share a peaceful life together, but in doing so he may have lost her respect forever.

Glumly, he watched Rey boarding the _Equalizer_ , with Rose accompanying her as her new first mate. Ben desperately wanted to go with Rey, but he also felt he owed her some space to continue processing her feelings. He waited to see if she’d ask him to join her, and when she didn’t, he stayed on board the _Sea Falcon_ , watching the _Equalizer_ sailing behind them. 

He sat down on the deck, his back to the railing, and laid his head in his hands. He heard someone plop down next to him, and he looked up and saw that it was Armitage Hux, appearing just as miserable. Even though Hux was technically a prisoner, Poe had taken pity on the poor man and hadn’t shackled his hands or feet. He trusted Hux not to try to sneak away again, especially because this time, Hux had nowhere to go. The Admiral wouldn’t forgive his son a second time, and Ben doubted Hux wanted to make amends with his father anyway. 

“You know, I have never seen someone looking more miserable than the two of you do right now,” Poe said, pausing beside them for a moment before heading belowdecks. 

Ben suppressed his urge to glare and tried to keep his face as neutral as possible. “Maybe I’m just tired.” 

Poe shot him a skeptical look; he obviously didn’t believe a word of that. “Look Ben, I know I’ve procrastinated about telling you this, but I really do forgive you for stealing my dagger. And because I’m in a generous mood tonight, I even forgive _you_ , Commodore Hux. The two of you look so pitiful right now I just can’t stay mad.”

Hux stared up at Poe in surprise, clearly not expecting such a charitable response. Poe’s words made Ben feel a little better, but he still had that cavernous ache in his chest hollowed out of him by his worries about his relationship with Rey. 

Poe wasn’t always the most perceptive person when it came to other people’s emotions, but even he could guess what Ben was really thinking. In an uncharacteristically soft voice, he added, “Ben, I didn’t make Rey captain of the _Equalizer_ to drive her away from you. I did it because she’s the best person for the job; we’re gonna need that fiery spirit of hers to get us through the dark days to come. 

“And just in case you’re doubting if she still loves you, well, stop it. I _know_ she loves you; she’s just been through a lot, with losing her mom and making a trip to the World Between Worlds and having to face down the British Navy, a mythical sea monster, _and_ Davy Jones. She’s changed, but she hasn’t forgotten you. 

“Even if you get on my nerves sometimes, Ben, I know that you’re meant to be with her. Maybe she is mad at you, but she was still going to ask you to join her on board the E _qualizer_ today.”

“What?” Ben asked. “Then why—”

“I told her I needed you here,” Poe said. “Which was kind of a lie, if I’m being completely honest with you. I thought you needed some time to get your thoughts in order — you too, Hux — before we arrived at the Brethren Court. Because once the council starts, we won’t have a moment to ourselves until either Jones has been defeated, or we’re all dead and floating through the World Between Worlds on our way to the afterlife.”

“That’s comforting,” Ben muttered, but in spite of himself, he did feel a little better. Yes, he’d mucked things up — rather badly, in fact — yet it wasn’t over. He could redeem himself, and prove to Rey he was still worthy of her love. 

Poe left them after that, and Ben and Hux sat beside each other in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Ben felt like he should say something to his best friend. He was probably one of the few people on Poe’s crew who _would_ talk to Hux at this point; everyone else just glared at him whenever they walked by. 

“I never should have taken the heart to my father,” Hux finally said, his voice so quiet Ben could barely hear him over the sound of the sails flapping in the wind. “I was a fool. I thought he might give me my life and my honor back, but there’s no honor in what I’ve done.”

“I know the feeling,” Ben admitted. “In case you hadn’t heard yet, I tried to steal Poe’s compass so I could give it to your father in exchange for Rey’s freedom.”

Hux raised an eyebrow. “You know, I feel like making deals with my father might be an even worse idea than making deals with Mother Talzin.”

They both chuckled a little at that, and Ben realized he couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had laughed together. The past year had taken a lot from them. 

“Rey will forgive you,” Hux assured him. “I know she will, although I’m afraid I’ve driven Rose away forever. I don’t think I could do anything to redeem myself in her eyes. At least I did what I could to protect her family. My father found out about my...my feelings for her, and he threatened to kill her family if I didn’t do everything he said.”

Ben pictured the warm, loving Tico family in their bakery, which felt like home to anyone who walked through their door. He’d like to believe the Admiral wasn’t evil enough to harm innocent people like that, but he knew the Admiral didn’t care who he harmed, as long as he got what he wanted. 

“You don’t have to let who your father is define you,” Ben told his friend. “No child deserves to be treated the way he treated you, and no matter what he says or does, he can’t take away the fact that you’re a good man, Armitage Hux. You’ve just lost your way — hell, I lost my way for a while there too. But it’s not too late for either of us. We can be something better.”

Hux was staring very intently at his own hands, which were folded in his lap, and Ben realized the commodore was desperately trying to hold back tears. He knew Hux had spent his whole life feeling unwanted and unworthy, and while he might be broken right now, Ben had to convince him he wasn’t defeated. 

In the end, all Hux said in response to Ben was a simple “thank you.” But Ben could tell by the look in his friend’s eyes that this time, he had gotten through. There was a little flicker of hope there, barely more than a spark, but it was burning there nonetheless. 

Maybe today was the day Hux would finally realize that he didn’t need to win his father’s approval, or have a fancy military title like “commodore,” in order to be worthy of respect and love. 

***

Rey had no idea what to expect from this gathering of pirates known as the “Brethren Court.” She knew meetings with Parliament members back in England could get quite rowdy at times, so she was a little nervous what might happen when a bunch of rebels and free spirits got together to try to agree on electing a “pirate king.”

The gathering was to be held at a place called Shipwreck Cove, located in the heart of a dead volcano. It was a longtime pirate hideout that Poe assured her was a better kept secret than Tortuga, which pretty much everyone in the Caribbean (including the Royal Navy) knew how to get to. 

To reach Shipwreck Cove, they first had to sail through a narrow, rocky tunnel called “the devil’s throat.” It reminded Rey of their journey through the ice wall on their way to the World Between Worlds, except this passage seemed even more ominous. If a ship drifted just a tiny bit too far to the left or the right, it would smash into the jagged rock wall and sink. 

Everyone on board the _Sea Falcon_ and the _Equalizer_ remained silent as they passed through the tunnel, most of them unsure what they’d encounter on the other side. Apparently Poe was the only one of them who’d seen this place before. Rey braced herself when she saw lights shining up ahead, and as they sailed out the other side of the tunnel, she found herself letting out a little gasp of awe as she caught her first glimpse of Shipwreck Cove. 

Rey had seen many strange and wonderful things during her adventures with the crew of the _Sea Falcon_ , but never anything like this. The volcano’s crater had filled with seawater, but in the very center was a mass of volcanic rock upon which was built a towering wooden fortress. 

It looked like the fortress had been constructed using scattered parts from shipwrecks, the walls made from pieces of ships’ hulls and held up by support beams salvaged from ships’ masts. This fortress was lit up by what appeared to be hundreds of tiny yellow lanterns, dancing in the twilight like magical fireflies. 

The S _ea Falcon_ and the _Equalizer_ sailed so close together that Rey could overhear Hux on the other ship marveling (in spite of himself) that, “This place truly is incredible.”

“It’s one of the last hidden pirate shelters in the Caribbean,” Poe said. “Even Mother Talzin doesn’t know about it. Believe me, it took a LOT of ancient magic to shield this place from her.”

“You could probably hide out here forever and no one would ever find you,” Finn joked, but Rey saw Poe’s expression turn grim. 

“That’s what I’m afraid the Brethren Court is going to prefer, rather than putting together an army and going after the Admiral and Davy Jones,” Poe said. “Our job is to convince everyone that it’s in their own best interest to fight. The Admiral isn’t going to stop looking for us until he wipes us all out, and eventually Davy Jones WILL find this place, no matter how well hidden it is.

“Besides, can you imagine all the pirates in the Caribbean struck here for the rest of their lives? We’d all go crazy and start fighting each other. Hell, the last Brethren Court disbanded after only three hours because one of the captains tried to shoot the man sitting across from him. The fight only ended when someone fired a cannon at the fortress. The cannonball sailed right through the council room; the hole’s still in the wall, I think.”

Rey hoped that was just a tall tale (she knew Poe loved to embellish the details whenever he told a story). Yet as he led the crews of the _Sea Falcon_ and the _Equalizer_ up a long, winding staircase made of rickety boards and then ushered them through an arching doorway into the council chamber, Rey saw he hadn’t been exaggerating. There was indeed a large hole on one side of the room where the cannonball had entered, and then a matching hole on the other side where the cannonball had exited the room. Rey hoped this particular meeting of the Brethren Court wouldn’t end on a similar note. 

The council room itself was huge — far larger than even the ballroom in the governor’s mansion back in Port Royal. Burgundy velvet drapes hung from the walls; Rey imagined the original intent was to give the room a touch of elegance, but these drapes were now too faded and moth-eaten to impress anyone. Most of the space in the room was taken up by a long wooden table surrounded by chairs for all the members of the Brethren Court to sit in. The light in the room was provided by candles in chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. The chandeliers had also fallen into disrepair, now tarnished by rust and covered in cobwebs. 

“Wow, they’ve really let the place go,” Poe muttered, and Rey had to admit, the decrepit council chamber didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence in this governing body. Still, in the end it didn’t really matter whether they’d gathered here or in the grand halls of a king’s palace; what mattered was whether they could win some allies for the coming battle against the Admiral and Davy Jones. 

Poe sat towards the front of the table but not at the head, which Rey assumed was a calculated move. The head of the table was no doubt reserved for the pirate king, and Poe wanted to establish himself as a person of influence by sitting close to it. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Poe Dameron!” 

Poe turned around at the sound of a booming voice filled with merriment, and a grin spread across his face as he saw a handsome older man with a black cloak striding towards him. The other man’s cape swirled around him as he walked, and Rey could see it was lined with a vibrant yellow fabric. This man was effortlessly stylish in a way that James Snoke never could be (no matter how much he’d tried).

“Captain Lando Calrissian, you old scoundrel!” Poe exclaimed, grasping the other man’s hand and clapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you here! I wasn’t sure you would come.”

“I wasn’t sure I’d come either, to tell you the truth,” Lando admitted. “I don’t like committing to causes — then again, what pirate does? But even I can see that Davy Jones and Admiral Brendol Hux have to be dealt with. There’s only so long you can run and hide.”

“Captain Calrissian?” Ben piped up, interrupting the conversation and stepping to the front of Poe’s crew. “I didn’t know you were a pirate!”

“You know Calrissian?” Poe asked in surprise, and Calrissian nodded. 

“Ah yes, Benjamin Swann — the young man pretending NOT to be the governor’s nephew while I transported him to Tortuga. As you can see, I’ve got my secrets too.” He winked. “There are times when it’s safer to pretend to be a merchant than to let your pirate flag fly.”

As Poe and Captain Calrissian launched into a conversation about all the trouble they’d gotten into since last seeing each other, Rey took a moment to glance around the council room, which was now filling up with other pirates. 

Captain Calrissian seemed to be the only one here who was truly in good spirits. Most looked like they’d been dragged here against their will, and many of the pirates kept sneaking suspicious glances at each other. Rey felt her hopes for raising a unified army beginning to fade; it was possible that no matter how high the stakes were, none of these people would want to cooperate. They’d all agreed to come here, but that didn’t mean they’d agree to fight. 

Poe motioned for Rey to take a seat next to him, and she could feel judgmental eyes watching her and murmurs from pirates speculating who she was. It was hard to just sit there and let people gawk at her and gossip, but she knew she had to appear strong and confident if she was going to help Poe convince these people that this cause was worth risking their lives for. 

Poe’s crew stood behind him to watch the proceedings, and as Captain Calrissian called the meeting to order by banging loudly on the table, Rey felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. At first she thought it might be Finn or Rose, but as she glanced up, she saw it was Ben. 

She realized they hadn’t really spoken since Ben had confessed to stealing Poe’s compass, and she felt regret twisting inside of her. Why hadn’t she gone to talk to him to make things right, like she’d done with her mother? She should have told him that she still loved him, and wanted him, because she did. Even now she felt the urge to take him by the hand and run away from all this. They could get married and spend their lives on some remote little island. It could be a good life, as long as they had each other. 

But it was only a fleeting temptation, because Rey knew that Captain Calrissian was right — you could only run and hide for so long before fate caught up to you. And Rey would not run from the battle to come. 

She realized she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she’d missed the opening proceedings, where Captain Calrissian had been describing in detail all the atrocities committed by the Admiral and Davy Jones. He asked if any of the pirates gathered here would like to make a motion about what action they should take, and Poe immediately jumped to his feet. 

“I move that we enact an old tradition,” he said. “It’s time to elect a pirate king.” 


	22. The Pirate King

Governor Luke Swann sat behind the desk in his office, staring bleakly out the window and listening to the sound of the rain pattering on the roof. 

Although Admiral Brendol Hux was not yet bold enough to come and actually throw him in jail, at this point Luke was basically a prisoner in his own home. He was governor in name only; the Admiral was the one who was really running Port Royal these days. He claimed he’d sent two of his men to stand guard at Luke’s house in order to “protect him from potential pirate violence,” but Luke knew the true reason. Those guards were really just there to keep him trapped inside his house and prevent him from interfering with the Admiral’s plans. 

Luke knew he should have left for England a long time ago, but he refused to go without Ben. He would not abandon the boy, even though right now he had no idea where his nephew was. 

He spent every waking moment worrying about Ben and wondering what might have happened to him. Though he tried not to suspect the worst, every day that passed with no news of Ben made it harder and harder to remain hopeful. The Admiral had claimed that Poe Dameron was dead, swallowed by Davy Jones’ gruesome kraken, and he prayed Ben had not shared that fate. Luke had promised his sister Leia that he would protect the boy, and he’d failed — miserably.

He’d initially felt reluctant to bring Ben with him to Port Royal all those years ago. Not because he didn’t think his nephew a capable young man; quite the opposite, actually. Ben was intelligent and a quick learner, and he’d inherited his mother’s stubborn, headstrong spirit. He was strong enough — and determined enough — to survive here in Port Royal. Luke simply worried that he wasn’t worthy of being the boy’s mentor. What if he failed to turn Ben into a successful, respected member of society? What if he couldn’t keep Ben safe, or he mistakenly sent Ben down the wrong path? He’d never be able to face Leia again, especially not after she’d already lost her husband. She loved Ben more than anything else in this world, and now it was Luke’s fault that he was gone. 

_I should have taken better care of him. I should have stood up to the Admiral sooner. I should have done more to help Rey, so he didn’t feel like he had to run off on his own to rescue her._

_I should have...I should have...I should have…_ That list of “should haves” could go on forever. 

One of the few footmen the Admiral had allowed Luke to retain approached the desk with a tray of food, but Luke waved it away. His stomach was too twisted into knots of anxiety right now to enable him to eat. He felt miserable, and he believed he had no right to seek solace from it; he deserved to suffer for what he’d done.

He’d tried to write to Leia many times, to tell her what happened; she deserved to know about the situation with her son. However, Luke never scratched out more than a few lines with his quill pen before he found himself wadding up the paper and tossing it across the room. There was no good way to tell your sister that her beloved son was missing and he might never come home. 

“I’m sorry, Leia,” he whispered, his heart aching as he spoke the apology to an empty room. “Leia, I’m so, so sorry…”

“About what?”

The sudden voice startled Luke so much that he quite literally fell out of his chair, his powdered wig tumbling from his head. He didn’t even think about grabbing it and trying to preserve at least some of his dignity; he just looked up in amazement and dismay as he saw none other than his twin sister Leia standing before him. 

“Am I...hallucinating?” Luke asked as he stood to his feet and rubbed his forehead. 

“Not that I’m aware of,” Leia replied, ever calm and collected. She was gracious enough not to comment on his missing wig. “I apologize for arriving unannounced, but the two soldiers standing guard at your door didn’t seem very keen on escorting me in. Perhaps they didn’t think I was enough of a ‘proper lady’ to merit following social protocol.”

“They just...let you in?” Luke asked, still trying to recover from the shock of Leia’s unexpected appearance. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to have visitors.”

Leia smirked. “Oh, they told me that. Then I informed them that they needed to step aside so I could see my brother, or there would be hell to pay. I must have intimidated them enough that they let me pass without incident.”

In spite of everything that had happened, Luke found himself chuckling. He could imagine his sister staring down those guards; “Leia on a mission” was a fearsome sight to behold, and those soldiers were wise to do as she asked.

Luke took his sister’s hand and squeezed it, and for a moment they just took in the sight of each other after so many years apart. Leia looked like she hadn’t aged a day since he’d last seen her; her dark brown hair was threaded with elegant strands of gray, and her brown eyes sparkled warmly. She was wearing a dark purple-gray gown and a cloak made from a soft, lighter gray fabric — simple but stylish attire for traveling. 

Luke felt the years had not been as kind to him; the stress of carrying out his job as governor — and dealing with the power-hungry Admiral — had left him with a constantly weary look in his eyes and deeply furrowed frown lines etched onto his face. Sometimes he felt far older than his 53 years. 

“Where’s my son, Luke?” Leia asked softly, and though her voice was not accusing, it still hit Luke like a blow to the gut. He had a feeling she already knew what the answer would be, but she needed him to be brave and say it. 

“I don’t know,” Luke answered honestly, and for the smallest second, he saw Leia’s shoulders sag and a flood of fear and grief overwhelm her eyes. But just as quickly, she composed herself again and nodded, staring out the window at the relentless rain. 

“I thought so,” she said. Again, she didn’t speak accusingly, but it didn’t matter whether she blamed him or not; Luke certainly blamed himself. “I heard rumors of what was happening in Port Royal, and I couldn’t bear not knowing what was really going on. I had to come here and help you and Ben, even if my doctor advised me not to make the journey.”

“How are you, Leia?” Luke asked, his concerns for his sister’s health renewing, but she brushed off the question. 

“That doesn’t matter. Tell me what the situation here is, and whether you have any idea where my son has gone.”

“Well, believe it or not, the best case scenario is that Ben has run off with his pirate friends, and he and Rey are somewhere safe together,” Luke said, and Leia immediately raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you telling me my son is a pirate now?” she asked, and Luke had to glance away from her piercing gaze. 

“Erm, I would rather phrase it as…‘pirate adjacent,’” he said. “He and Rey have this friend named Poe Dameron who is captain of a ship called the _Sea Falcon_. Dameron isn’t a bad sort of fellow, despite being a pirate. He saved their lives, actually.”

Luke was afraid Leia would be furious for the way he’d allowed Ben to run wild since coming to Port Royal, but to his relief, she just laughed. 

“He sounds like his father, always chasing some adventure,” Leia said, her voice growing a little wistful. “Well, hopefully the crew of this _Sea Falcon_ are able to protect him and Rey. Do you think they’re on some sort of secret mission to try to stop the Admiral?”

“I don’t know, but I assume so,” Luke said. “Dameron probably knows he ranks near the top of the Admiral’s ‘revenge list.’ He wants the Admiral gone as much as the citizens of Port Royal do.” 

“Then I hope Captain Dameron gets the miserable bastard,” Leia said, and Luke nearly choked at the sound of his sister swearing so matter-of-factly.

“I won’t offend your delicate sensibilities again,” Leia said teasingly, patting her brother lovingly on the shoulder. “However, if anyone deserves a salty-tongued insult, it’s Admiral Brendol Hux.”

Luke found it hard to disagree, though he wouldn’t admit it, especially after all those times he’d lectured Ben for swearing. “What am I going to do about all of this, Leia?” he asked. Whenever they were children and they had a problem, it seemed like Leia was the one to find a solution. She always refused to give up, and she made sure he didn’t give up, either. Even though he hated the fact she’d placed herself in danger by coming here today, he was grateful for her presence. 

“First, we’re going to sneak you out of this mansion,” Leia said. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that your life is in danger as long as you remain in the Admiral’s ‘care.’”

Luke nodded; he’d already suspected as much. It was only a matter of time before the Admiral found a way to make the governor conveniently “disappear.”

“Then, we’re going to find my son and find a way to stop the Admiral,” Leia said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do that yet, but when you put two Swanns together, the world had better watch out.”

She smiled at him again, and while nothing about their situation had technically improved, Luke found himself feeling better. Somehow, Leia would make things better. She would stop the Admiral, and she would save her son; she wouldn’t accept anything less. 

***

Rey couldn’t hear anything that was said after Poe’s pronouncement that “it was time to elect a pirate king” because the Brethren Court immediately exploded into chaos. 

Everyone was shouting their opinions as loud as they possibly could, all at the same time, and it was impossible to decipher any of it. 

Poe looked surprisingly calm as he waited for the shouting to die down, as if he’d known this was the exact reaction his words would provoke. Eventually, everyone seemed to realize that this shouting was pointless, and they all quieted down (although no one looked particularly happy about it).

“Well, now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way...” Poe said, gesturing vaguely. “I’m sure we can all agree that something has to be done about Admiral Brendol Hux and Davy Jones. They’ll destroy the entire Caribbean if we let them, and then rule over us like bloody tyrants. If we elect a pirate king right now, we can expedite this whole process of going to war, instead of wasting days debating what to do via a traditional vote.”

One of the pirates sitting across from them, who had a rather ostentatious hat with a gigantic, bright red feather, started to object. Yet before she could argue, Captain Calrissian cut in. 

“He’s right, you know,” he said in that smoothly resonant voice of his that immediately seemed to calm everyone down. (Rey wondered if Calrissian could even charm the Admiral himself, if given the chance.) “All of us will never be able to unanimously approve any other proposal; the pirate king clause in our code was created for just such a time as this.”

“But there’s never actually been a pirate king,” another pirate captain interjected, his faded orange cloak covered with colorful patches. “Because a pirate king must be approved by a majority vote of the Brethren Court, and everyone always just nominates themselves!”

“True,” Poe said. “But all it takes is just one of us to vote for someone besides ourselves, and boom! We have ourselves a pirate king.”

The pirate captains fell silent again as they all studied each other skeptically, and Rey had a feeling that despite the urgency of their situation, no one was eager to vote for anyone besides themselves. Pirates were an independent lot, and they didn’t like surrendering control to one “pirate king.”

Yet just as Poe had said, all it took was two people voting together…

***

Poe Dameron listened as Lando Calrissian started off the round of voting, nominating himself to serve as the pirate king. 

Poe wasn’t surprised Calrissian had gone ahead and voted for himself, and really, he wasn’t a bad choice. Poe could easily throw his own vote behind Calrissian, and then that would be that. They could end this council and get down to business. 

Yet Poe couldn’t deny that instinctual pull to nominate himself instead, and that urge only got stronger as the vote proceeded around the table and the pirates one by one nominated their own selves, exactly as predicted. He didn’t relish the thought of placing his destiny into the hands of another pirate, and while he liked Lando, he still wasn’t sure he completely trusted him. He couldn’t trust any of these pirates, actually, and they certainly didn’t trust him. 

The problem with trying to unify the Brethren Court was that most of these pirates had all swindled each other in the past, in one way or another, and everyone had their own set of grudges. Poe knew that Larma D’Acy — the pirate captain with the huge hat and red feather — would take any opportunity she could get to stab him in the back. There was no pirate captain here who wouldn’t be a controversial choice for the role of pirate king; each person here had their enemies, and long, complicated histories where they were sometimes the hero, and sometimes the villain. 

No one here could claim any sort of moral high ground, except for…

The realization suddenly struck Poe as he stared at the young woman sitting next to him, and a radical idea popped into his mind. There WAS a person at this table who didn’t have a ledger full of debts and betrayals. They were new to this world, and some of the pirate captains wouldn’t like that lack of experience. But it would be easier for everyone to take orders from the one person here whose motives were completely pure, and who hadn’t tried to kill anyone else sitting at the table. 

When it finally came time for Poe to make his nomination, he knew exactly which name he was going to say. 

***

Based on where she was sitting at the table, Rey would be one of the last captains to vote. Deciding who to nominate was easy: if Poe voted for Lando, she’d vote for Lando, and if Poe voted for himself, then she’d vote for Poe. He knew all these pirates far better than she did, and she trusted his judgement. 

She waited eagerly for Poe’s turn, listening carefully to see who he’d nominate. It was a little challenging to hear right now — technically everyone except for the pirate who was voting was supposed to be silent, but people kept talking anyway. 

When Poe’s turn finally came, he stood to his feet and then paused, giving her a strange little smile before opening his mouth. 

“I nominate Rey Turner,” he said, plunging the room into a shocked silence. In the history of the Brethren Court, no one had ever nominated someone besides themselves to be the pirate king, and out of all the people sitting here, Poe had nominated...her. 

She thought it might be a joke, a teasing way to throw the other members of the court off balance before he made his true nomination. Yet even though Poe was smiling, she could see from the look in his eyes that he was serious. He’d definitely meant to nominate her, though she had no bloody idea why. 

“Who is this?” the pirate with the patchwork cloak called out, his eyes bulging so intensely they looked like they were about to pop out of his skull at any moment. “She’s not even a captain!”

“Oh yes she is,” Poe fired back. “She sailed here as captain of the _Equalizer_ , a ship we captured from the Royal Navy. Her first mate is Rose Tico. She has as much right to sit here as any of us, and I stand by my nomination. Rey Turner should be the pirate king. You have no idea how hard she’s fought, and how much she’s sacrificed to get here today. She’s willing to give her life to stop the Admiral and Davy Jones, and she’s the only captain here we can all trust not to betray us.”

“But what if—”

Poe was giving his detractors no quarter today. “I made my nomination, and based on the pirate code, you have no right to dispute it. If you don’t like it, you can resign from the Brethren Court.”

Rey could tell that no one was really satisfied by that explanation, but at least it seemed to stop the argument. Apparently there were some traditions that even pirates felt compelled to respect. 

Everyone in the room now turned their attention to Rey, and she realized it was her turn to vote. 

_What the hell should I even say?_ she asked herself, as she glanced around the room at all the sour and suspicious expressions. Who was she to declare herself the “pirate king”? She’d literally been captain for just one day, and she felt like an imposter sitting here in this ancient chamber filled with powerful, dangerous people with far more experience than her. 

_I don’t want this,_ she thought, squeezing her eyes shut for just a second and wishing she could disappear. _I can’t do this. I’m not meant to do this._

Still, she realized that every second she hesitated, the more of these pirates’ respect she lost — and she had precious little to begin with. If the Caribbean was to be free from the Admiral’s reign of terror, she really would have to walk through the door that Poe had just opened for her. 

“I nominate...Rey Turner,” she said, and she tried to make her voice sound strong and hard and brave and all the things she wasn’t really feeling right now. There were a few other pirates who had yet to vote, but it was basically decided. Rey Turner had been named by the Brethren Court as the next pirate king. 

She was barely aware of what happened when the voting ended, and “Captain Rey Turner” was officially declared as the winner. Captain Calrissian brought out an ancient pirate codex and she had to lay her left hand on the raggedy leather cover, raise her right hand, and swear to follow the pirate code and not abuse her power as pirate king. 

She took her place at the head of the table and heard herself speaking to the Brethren Court, ordering all the pirates to prepare their ships for war. She felt oddly detached from the whole experience, as if someone else had taken over her body and was speaking through her lips. 

Some of the other pirates continued to grumble about the results of the council, but she knew they’d comply with the ruling and join the fight. No one would want to be called a coward for running from the Admiral. 

She remained standing at the head of the table, still too stunned to do anything else, as all the pirate captains filed out of the room and went to muster their troops for battle. Rey needed a quiet moment to calm her churning emotions, but she wasn’t given it. 

Poe took her gently but firmly by the arm and guided her out of the room, whispering to her that as pirate king, she needed to make sure that the _Equalizer_ was the first ship to be seen leaving Shipwreck Cove. She had to set a strong example, showing the other pirates that she took her role as their new leader seriously. She had to show them that she wasn’t afraid to face the Admiral, Davy Jones, and the kraken. 

She wanted to steal just one kiss with Ben, but all she got was an all-too-brief look that passed between them as Poe escorted her to the _Equalizer_. She hoped that her eyes communicated everything she hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Ben. She wondered if he knew just how afraid she was, and that the only reason she could face this battle was because he was here with her. 

If this was how the world ended, then she would proudly fight and die to save the man she loved.

***

Rose carried the final crate of gunpowder into the hold of the _Equalizer_ , tucking it into the last corner of empty space she could find. The _Sea Falcon_ and the _Equalizer_ were both loaded down with as many supplies as they could carry, and it was almost time to set sail. 

Rose knew she needed to keep moving, but she was so exhausted from the hard work of loading heavy crates combined with too many nights in a row of too little sleep. She had to take a short moment to sit down on one of the crates and rest. 

She’d barely eased herself down onto the wooden box and propped up her feet, sighing in relief, when Armitage Hux marched into the room, his arms weighed down by two more crates the hold obviously didn’t have room for. 

“Oh!” Hux exclaimed, nearly dropping the boxes on his own feet. He glanced around nervously, as if looking for a quick escape. “I didn’t realize you...uh...it looks like this storage area is already full...I’ll try taking these to…”

“Armitage Hux.” Despite the ache in her legs, Rose made herself stand and face him. “I think we need to talk.”

At the moment, Hux looked as if he’d rather jump into shark-infested waters than have a conversation, but to his credit, he didn’t back away. He remained standing rigidly straight, the two crates still in his arms. 

“You can set those down, you know,” Rose said gently. “I’ll help you move them later.”

Hux’s face turned red. “Oh, um...right.” He put down the boxes, and then they stood there staring at each other, the silence so painful and uncomfortable that Rose almost wanted to push past him and run up to the deck so she could escape from this. Yet if they were going to go into battle together — with the very real possibility that one or both of them might die — then they needed to have this talk. 

“Why did you do it?” Rose asked, trying not to sound as vulnerable as she felt right now. “I mean, I guess I sort of know why you took the heart — you wanted to redeem yourself in the eyes of your father. But how could you justify betraying all of us? Did you...did you not care what happened to us after you left?”

“I was a complete and utter fool,” Hux said, and Rose admired him at least a little for not trying to justify himself. “I convinced myself I was doing the right thing, because I was afraid to let go of who I thought I needed to be. I assumed I was nothing unless I was a commodore and my father was finally proud of me. I see now that I was chasing after the wrong goals. I should have stayed with you instead.”

Despite all the ways Hux had broken her heart, Rose still felt a little flutter as she heard him say he wished he would have stayed. 

“I wish you would have stayed too,” she replied. She no longer cared whether it was proper to share her feelings or not; if this ended up being her last moments alone with Hux, then she was going to hold nothing back. “I loved you. Not because you were a commodore, or the son of an Admiral, but simply because you were YOU.”

Hux stared at her open-mouthed, and she couldn’t tell if he was pleased by her confession or not. She found it didn’t even matter to her what his reaction was; it simply felt good to finally speak her mind, and to tell him how she honestly felt. It no longer had to remain trapped inside her, like a caged bird desperate to fly free. 

“You...you loved me?” Hux spoke the words carefully, as if they were fragile bits of porcelain that could break at any second. “Just as I was?”

“Yes,” Rose said. “And I’d love you even now, if you’d let me.”

Hux collapsed onto the boxes he’d just placed on the ground, burying his face in his hands. It took Rose a moment to realize that his shoulders were shaking with sobs. 

“I don’t deserve you,” he managed to get out. “Rose, I am so, so sorry. I have no right to love you, when you could have someone so much better. But I DO love you. And I want to be worthy of you. I don’t care about being a commodore anymore, and my father, quite frankly, can go to hell. I just want you.”

As far as apologizes went, Rose decided that was actually quite moving. She could tell he’d meant every word, and that he really did love her. And even more important, she could see that he’d finally broken away from his father’s terrible, controlling influence. At long, long last, he was free to love her...and to show the world who he truly was. 

Rose knelt on the ground beside him, so they could look each other in the eyes, and she gently took his face in her hands. 

“I forgive you,” she said softly. “I love you, and I’ll fight beside you. And we’ll either defeat your father, or we’ll go to the World Between Worlds together. No more secrets between us, and no more betrayals. Whatever happens from this moment on, we’ll do it together.”

“Together,” Hux agreed, taking her hands in his and squeezing them tightly. “Whatever happens.”

***

Admiral Brendol Hux stared at the wooden chest sitting on his desk, illuminated by a beam of moonlight streaming in through the window. His house was completely silent at this late hour, and if he listened closely enough, he could hear the heart of Davy Jones beating inside the chest. 

_Thump thump. Thump thump._

That sound felt like constant blows to his brain, every pulse stoking the burning rage inside him until he wanted to take that chest and crush it with his bare hands. 

But he couldn’t. 

As much as he hated Davy Jones, he needed that bastard to maintain control of the Caribbean. People only feared Brendol because they knew that if they resisted his control, he’d send Davy Jones and the kraken after them. Without that supernatural help, Brendol was just a well-connected Royal Navy officer who still had to answer to Governor Luke Swann. 

Speaking of people he hated, Brendol despised Governor Swann almost as much as he despised Davy Jones. He’d finally come up with a manufactured charge just believable enough to warrant executing the governor, and then Luke Swann had gone and disappeared. 

Rumor was the ever-meddling Leia had appeared in Port Royal and whisked her twin brother away to safety. While that gave the Admiral an opportunity to declare himself “acting governor” of Port Royal, he knew that the governor’s disappearance made his own self appear weak. If the Admiral couldn’t control one wayward governor, how was he supposed to protect Port Royal from the pirates he’d spent months claiming would soon be arriving to plunder and murder their way through the city?

Worse, the governor’s escape and apparent rebellion was being viewed as an inspiring act of defiance by certain people in Port Royal. They thought Luke might be traveling back to England to report the Admiral’s actions to the king, and then the king would decide to send his own army to liberate Port Royal from the “evil Admiral.”

Brendol knew he should have found an excuse to kill the governor long ago, and when — not if — he did eventually find Luke Swann, he’d correct that mistake. He couldn’t allow anyone to challenge him, or start imagining that he could be beaten. People needed to believe that he was an unstoppable force. 

One of his spies had informed him that apparently all the pirates in the Caribbean had convened the so-called “Brethren Court” so they could muster an army to come and fight him. Apparently they’d elected a pirate king who was none other than Rey Turner, the assistant of Port Royal blacksmith Cornelius Plutt and Benjamin Swann’s ill-fated fiancée. What an odd twist of fate that was, Brendol thought to himself with a cold smile. In the end it didn’t make much difference to him who the pirate king was; they’d be dead soon anyway. 

Brendol also had reason to believe that his son had officially deserted the Royal Navy and was now fighting alongside the pirates. Brendol didn’t much care about that either. His son had been a constant source of irritation to him since he’d been born a bastard to that kitchen maid the Admiral had once slept with but never loved. He’d never loved his son either, but because of society’s obsession with producing an heir and maintaining one’s legacy, he’d had to do his best to shape the boy into something useful. 

Now that Armitage had turned pirate, Brendol had the perfect excuse to cut his son out of his life for good. He didn’t need an heir to ensure his legacy would live on; history would record the deeds of Admiral Brendol Hux, while miserable little Armitage would die as a forgotten pirate. 

Admiral Brendol Hux knew he could just send Davy Jones out to crush this little pirate uprising, and he himself would never have to leave the comfort of his Port Royal mansion. However, he decided that he’d rather be there to watch the destruction happen firsthand. Rey Turner, Benjamin Swann, Poe Dameron, and all the other pests who’d complicated his life of late would be there, and he would enjoy seeing them all die. 

He also wanted to be there to ensure that Davy Jones would act exactly as instructed. Some of his men had reported that Jones wasn’t always compliant when he was on his own at sea; he chafed under the Admiral’s command, and he longed to be his own master again. One of his officers warned him that Jones was even trying to communicate with an old ally: a Nightsister witch named Mother Talzin. 

The Admiral would take his own personal flagship to observe the battle between Jones and the Royal Navy, and this cobbled-together pirate rebellion. He’d even bring Jones’ heart along with him, just to remind Jones who really held the power here. 

Jones might hate serving a master, but he didn’t want to die. If he saw the Admiral holding the heart, he’d be reminded that he was only kept alive by the mercy of Brendol Hux. 

The Admiral rang the bell on his desk, and despite the fact that it was well after midnight, one of his guards came running immediately.

“Yes, Sir?” the man asked, saluting him crisply. The Admiral took pleasure from the spark of fear in the other man’s eyes; this officer well knew who the Admiral was, and what he was capable of. 

“Prepare my ship to set sail immediately,” he instructed, and the officer made no comment about the lateness of the hour or the abruptness of the order. He simply nodded and repeated, “Yes, Sir.”

More people needed to be like that officer, Brendol thought as he watched the man leave. He didn’t know the young man’s name, and he didn’t particularly care. It didn’t matter who served under him, as long as they were obedient. 

Brendol Hux wanted to see that exact same look of fear and respect in the eyes of Poe Dameron and all his pitiful pirate friends before they met their end at the bottom of the sea. 


	23. Hoist the Colors

Rey leaned against the railing of the _Equalizer_ and watched the sun rise over the ocean. The inky blackness of the night sky faded to a deep purple, which gradually warmed to a blend of reddish-pink and yellow-orange, like paints that had been spilled across an artist’s palette and then smeared together.

It was beautiful, quite possibly the most beautiful sunrise Rey had ever seen. She prayed it wouldn’t be her last.

They’d been searching for the Admiral’s fleet for the past few days, and Rey had a feeling that today would be the day the two armies finally met in battle. It wasn’t that she’d heard any confirmed reports indicating that the Admiral would cross their path; she just had a feeling in her bones. 

_A feeling in your bones…_ She’d never understood what that phrase meant until she actually started spending time at sea; out here on the ocean, she’d learned to sense things more instinctively, to pay attention to subtle changes that warned of greater dangers to come. Despite the beauty of the sunrise, the morning felt ominous, like the breath of calm before a storm. Even now dark clouds crowded the edge of the horizon, bleeding the brilliant colors from the sky and turning them to a foreboding gray.

She gripped the railing and closed her eyes, trying to ground herself by focusing only on what she could hear and feel, narrowing down the world to the scope of this small, quiet moment. She felt the smoothness of the wood beneath her hands, reminding her that the _Equalizer_ was a good, strong ship that would serve her well in the battle to come. She felt the wind blowing through her hair, a stiff, salty breeze that caught the ship’s sails and propelled them forward. There would be no languishing in the doldrums today. 

She’d traded out the raggedy clothes she’d been wearing since the battle on Isla Cruces, which were so covered in dirt, stains, and sweat that Poe had declared them unsalvageable. She was wearing black leather pants, tall black boots, and a black lace-up vest over a scarlet-colored shirt. She’d wound her hair into a tight bun and then donned a tricorn hat, black with silver trim. It seemed a bit too flamboyant, but Poe declared the pirate king needed to stand out a little in battle. All the other pirates needed to see that she was still standing, still fighting. 

The Brethren Court had a few spies within the Royal Navy, and supposedly the Admiral himself had set sail from Port Royal, with Davy Jones and the kraken in tow. He’d even brought Davy Jones’ heart with him, which would hopefully provide the pirates with the opportunity they needed to steal it back. 

Rey heard footsteps behind her, and Poe walked up to the railing, tipping his hat to her. He looked calm and confident, though whether that bravado was real or just for show, Rey couldn’t tell. 

“Are you ready, Captain Turner?” he asked. He must have sensed the same thing Rey did: the battle was coming today. 

“No,” Rey answered honestly. She had to put on a brave face for the other pirates, but with her friends she could be honest. There was no point in lying to Poe; she could tell he’d already spotted the trembling in her hands, even if he couldn’t hear the pounding of her heart. 

“Well, neither am I,” Poe confessed. “But this is our only chance to save the world, so we’ll have to be ready. We’ll have to win.”

“What are we going to do about the heart?” Rey said. “If we’re able to actually get our hands on it, who’s going to stab it and then commit to a life of shepherding souls through the World Between Worlds?”

“I have a plan for that,” Poe said, and once again, Rey couldn’t tell if he was being honest or not. She chose to believe that he did have a plan, because she had too many other things to worry about right now. 

“Do you think that storm is just coincidence?” Rey asked, changing the subject as she watched the billowing dark clouds light up with flashes of lightning.

Poe laughed bitterly. “I don’t think anything about this day is going to be a coincidence. But whether the storm’s meant to be bad luck for us or bad luck for the Admiral remains to be seen. Do you see the slight hint of green in those clouds?”

Rey looked where Poe was pointing, and while she hadn’t noticed it before, there was a slight greenish tinge blended in with the gray. She didn’t have to say the name she was thinking out loud, because she knew Poe was thinking it too: _Mother Talzin._

“Maybe she thinks the storm will help us, give us a little bit of an advantage since we’re fighting against a supernatural threat like Davy Jones,” Poe said. “Or it could just as easily mean that she still has a soft spot for Jones and has decided to help him out instead. Maybe we won’t have to worry about the kraken dragging us to the bottom of the sea; maybe the storm will drown us first.”

The wind began to pick up, and the sails strained against their ropes as the ship pushed forward through the increasingly choppy waves. Rey could hear rolling rumbles of thunder, and soon the sun completely disappeared behind the dark clouds. In the distance, she saw white sails bobbing on the horizon, and she didn’t need to check what flags these ships were flying to know that this was the Admiral’s fleet. 

It was time. 

***

Ben stood at the bow of the ship, one hand gripping his cutlass and the other hand sweeping his hair out of his eyes as the stiff wind tried to blow it across his face. 

He could see the line of ships heading towards him, and he tried not to surrender to the fear clawing at his insides. He’d felt fairly confident when he’d seen the number of ships the Brethren Court had been able to muster. It was a rather eclectic collection of ships in all shapes and sizes, but the pirate crews had come spoiling for a fight, and they’d brought all the swords and gunpowder they could possibly carry. 

Unfortunately, the size of the fleet currently sailing towards them made the pirate ships look like a small handful of stones about to be tossed at a mountain. How were they ever going to survive this, especially since one of those enemy ships was captained by the immortal Davy Jones, with a sea monster under his command? 

Ben wished he could look as confident as Rey and Poe did. Poe had temporarily left the _Sea Falcon_ in Finn’s care while he swung over to the _Equalizer_ (quite literally, on a rope) to check in with Rey. (Ben had muttered “show off” to himself as Poe had landed on the deck with a bow.) 

Ben also wished he could say he had no regrets as he headed into this battle, but that wasn’t true. He wished he’d given his uncle a better goodbye, and he hoped that, in a way, Luke would be proud of him, even though he’d probably never approve of Ben running off with a gang of pirates. He wished he could have seen his mother again, just so he could hug her and tell her that he loved her. He hoped that wherever she was right now, perhaps sitting in her parlor in London enjoying a cup of tea, that she was safe and well. 

And most of all, he wished he actually could have married Rey. Perhaps they were never meant to have a fancy wedding, with elaborate clothes and fancy porcelain dishes and all the members of Port Royal’s high society gathered around them. In the end, none of those details really mattered anyway. He should have found some way to share a simple ceremony with Rey, to seal their love for each other before it was too late. 

He felt a firm hand on his shoulder and glanced back and saw that Poe had finished talking with Rey and had now made his way over to Ben. The pirate captain still had that confident smile, but Ben could see the worry flickering in the pirate’s eyes. Ben didn’t say anything about it; there was no point in acknowledging how terrified they both felt right now. They needed to keep convincing themselves that they were more optimistic than they really felt. 

“You’d better get yourself up to the helm before the battle starts, Ben,” Poe said. “I assume you’ll want to fight side by side with your lady love.”

“Of course.” If Ben accomplished only one thing in the bloodbath to come, then he wanted that to be keeping Rey safe. He’d give his own life for her, if necessary. No matter what happened to him, he’d be at peace knowing that Captain Rey Turner had lived to see another sunrise. 

Stars, she looked absolutely breathtaking right now, with one hand on the wheel as she stared at the approaching enemy ships on the horizon. A few wisps of hair had blown free from her bun, framing her face beneath her tricorn hat, and that lace-up black leather vest fit her figure _perfectly_. 

“Don’t get too distracted there, Swann,” Poe grinned devilishly, slapping Ben on the back as Ben’s face flushed bright red. “Keep your eyes on the battle; there will be time for the rest of that if we all survive.”

“ _When_ we all survive,” Rose corrected him, and Ben saw Rey’s new first mate drawing her cutlass. “When, not if.” 

In his mind, Ben was afraid all that hope would come to nothing. But in his heart, he chose to believe her. 

***

Mother Talzin was furious.

She could feel the swampland quaking beneath her, in response to her anger. She heard the nervous shrieks and squeaks from the creatures formerly taking refuge beneath her shack as they scurried away, sensing the rage that was brewing within. 

Mother Talzin wished she had never created Davy Jones. She was sick of his near constant requests for her help, which so far she had refused to answer. Who did he think he was, to petition her after all he’d done? She was not going to fall for that conniving little snake’s tricks again. Right now he was working so hard, spinning pretty lies and trying to convince her that he was sorry for betraying her in the past, and assuring her that this time he’d be true. He was trying to paint her a picture of love and devotion, but she saw those words for what they really were: a sticky spider’s web. The second he had what he needed from her, he’d betray her again. 

She didn’t feel sorry for him that Admiral Brendol Hux had his heart and was treating him like a little errand boy. She wanted Jones to be thoroughly miserable before Poe Dameron stabbed the heart. 

Yes, she’d purposefully neglected to mention to Poe that he’d be taking Davy Jones’ place in the World Between Worlds. If she’d been completely honest, he might not have agreed to do this. She didn’t owe it to these mortals to explain every detail of her plan. Besides, she was actually giving Poe a valuable gift: a life of immortality, that hopefully he wouldn’t squander in the same way Davy Jones did. 

_Mother Talzin…_

Out of the swirling green mists flowing from her cauldron, she heard a voice calling to her. It was the same voice that had been calling to her throughout her many years spent amongst the mortals on Earth, and she’d long ago learned to ignore it, as she was now ignoring Jones’ pitiful pleas. 

It was the other guardians from the World Between Worlds. Trying to call her back “home,” to warn her that she was upsetting the delicate balance of the mortal realm by using her powers so freely. 

The World Between Worlds might be where she had come from, but she’d never thought of it as home. It had always been a prison; there, her powers were so much smaller in scope, and she was shackled to her duties as guardian. She’d searched for ages for a way to slip into the mortal realm, where she could reign as an all-powerful witch queen forever. And once Jones was dead, there would be no one who could ever challenge her. 

Mother Talzin was only a little worried that Poe Dameron might fail her. He hadn’t tried to seek her help for the battle to come, which seemed odd, and she was troubled by the fact she hadn’t been able to see anything that had happened to him in the World Between Worlds. She wondered if he’d encountered something there that had caused him to doubt her. 

Still, she comforted herself that in the end, Poe would undoubtedly feel bound to his duty to rid the world of Davy Jones, and he would stab the heart. He could take Jones’ place, and all would be well with the universe again. Mother Talzin had no reason to—

_He knows about you._

Mother Talzin felt a sharp stab of pain inside her mind, and her eyes snapped open as a new voice interrupted her ritual of meditation. Usually when a voice spoke to her from the World Between Worlds, it was either the Father, or the Daughter. Their voices were gentle and pleading, and she’d always found it a bit pathetic. 

But this was something different. This time, it was the Son, and she could hear the self-satisfied sneer in his voice as he taunted her. 

_Poe knows what you really are. It’s not just Davy Jones who will face his judgement today — it’s time for you to answer for what you’ve done. I’ll look forward to seeing you very, very soon…_

“No!” 

Mother Talzin was thankful there was no one else around to hear the guttural cry that escaped from her lips, an unwitting display of weakness. Surely it was impossible — there was no way for the other guardians to force her to return to the World Between Worlds...was there? What if one of them had spoken to Poe during his time there? What if they’d convinced him that she was just as evil as Davy Jones, and that she also needed to be “dealt with”? 

As Mother Talzin’s anger burned hotter and hotter, the green liquid in her cauldron transitioned from a gentle simmer into a roiling boil so scorching and caustic it started to erode holes in the cauldron itself, the liquid seeping out and burning the wooden floor. 

Mother Talzin was no longer a guardian — she was a Nightsister queen, and she refused to return to her past identity. That was an entirely different entity she did not wish to be any longer. 

She had always been so careful to regulate her powers here on Earth, using only as much as necessary to accomplish what she needed. But her panicked rage made her emotions overflow just as wildly as the potion in her cauldron, and for the first time she lost control of her powers. 

Anger swirled within her like a hurricane, except unlike a real hurricane, there was no peaceful eye in the center of this storm. There was nothing inside her but overwhelming rage. She’d show the guardians — and all these mortals — what she really, truly was.

She’d release her wrath on the Caribbean. The Admiral, Davy Jones, Poe Dameron — they’d all suffer, and before they died, they’d realize the important fact they’d apparently forgotten. 

Mother Talzin was more powerful than any force on this Earth, and she would not — could not — be stopped.

***

Captain Rey Turner did not want to stand in front of all these pirates and make a speech, but Poe insisted that she do it anyway. 

Within moments, all these ships would be sailing into a battle, where many of the pirates might die. Poe told her that she needed to say something inspiring, to encourage them and motivate them to keep fighting even though the odds were stacked against them. 

She’d never made a speech like this before, and she didn’t even know where to start. She’d been a captain for only a short while, and a pirate king for even less. She still felt like an imposter, and her fancy new clothes and shiny new cutlass couldn’t change that. 

Maybe she should have had Hux help her write something; he seemed like the sort of man who could pull out an inspiring speech for the troops at a moment’s notice. But there wasn’t time; all she had was herself, standing here at the bow of the _Equalizer_ as she sailed to either freedom or doom. 

“None of us wants to die today!” 

She started with something to which they could all relate; every pirate here, whether they admitted it or not, was afraid of what awaited them. “Some of us may, and you might be asking yourself, is it worth it? What am I going to die for? 

“I cannot promise you victory, but I can promise you that as pirate king, I’ll keep fighting, as long as I have a cutlass in my hand and a ship’s deck beneath my feet. I want the Admiral to sail his flagship right alongside the _Equalizer_ , so he can see the anger and the determination in my eyes. And he’ll envy the freedom and the camaraderie that we all share. 

“Today, his men are only fighting because he ordered them to. Even Davy Jones is not here of his own free will. But we are here because we believe that we have a cause worth dying for. No matter how much he tries to intimidate us, he cannot take away the fire in our hearts. Let’s show him just what we’re made of — captains, hoist the colors!”

The pirates raised their fists in the air with a roaring cheer so loud that Rey hoped the Admiral could hear it. One by one, the captains raised their pirate flags. No flag was exactly alike, but they all sent the same message to the Admiral: today, they were putting aside their differences and grievances, and they were fighting as one. 

The pirates stomped their boots on the deck and joined their voices together, shouting out an old sea shanty that now served as a battle cry. 

_Yo ho, all hands,_   
_Hoist the colors high!_   
_Heave ho, thieves and beggars,_   
_Never shall we die!_

As Rey listened to them sing, any remaining doubts she had faded away, leaving only resolve. The Admiral might be in possession of a bigger, better army, but he didn’t have anything like the defiant determination she saw displayed before her. Let him be as overconfident as he wished — she knew he wasn’t ready for this. 

Unfortunately, Rey’s newfound spark of courage was nearly snuffed out just a few seconds later as she was rather abruptly reminded that the Admiral wasn’t the only threat they were going to have to deal with today. She knew how to handle the Admiral, and she was pretty sure they could handle Davy Jones (if Poe’s talk about having a plan wasn’t just bluster). At the moment she wasn’t even afraid to face the kraken, whose tentacles she had just seen poking above the water. 

When Poe had pointed out the greenish tint to the clouds moments ago, Rey had hoped it was a sign that Mother Talzin was still on their side. But she realized now that Mother Talzin was on no one’s side, and the Nightsister queen fully intended to bury all of them — the Admiral’s army, Davy Jones, and the pirates — at sea. 

Violent gusts of wind tugged at the sails of all the ships, and a burst of uncanny green lighting struck the mast of one of the Royal Navy’s ships and set the wooden vessel aflame. 

But worst of all, in the narrowing gap between the two warring fleets, Rey saw the beginnings of a maelstrom. It started as a small, seemingly insignificant whirlpool, the waves spiraling in on each other, gradually growing wider and wider until they formed a gaping maw that drew all the ships — pirates and Royal Navy alike — towards it. 

“Turn around!” she heard someone shout, and she looked over, panicked, as some of the pirate captains frantically tried to turn their ships away from the maelstrom. However, Rey had no choice of whether she wanted to face the maelstrom or not; the storm had already sucked the _Equalizer_ and the _Sea Falcon_ into the spiraling vortex of water. 

***

Poe desperately wished he had never, ever made a deal with Mother Talzin. 

She was turning on him now, and it was only a small comfort that she was turning on Davy Jones too. He realized there was a chance that Davy Jones might actually be the only one of them to survive this; unless someone actually stabbed his heart, he’d survive this bloody whirlpool while the rest of them drowned. Mother Talzin would retrieve the heart once they’d all gone to their watery grave, and Jones would be hers to command once more. 

No matter what happened, Poe had to make sure that didn’t happen. He had the dagger the Son had given him strapped to his belt; if he could somehow make it over to the Admiral’s flagship in the middle of this chaos, he could stab the heart, killing Jones and sending Mother Talzin back to the World Between Worlds, where she belonged. 

And in a way (most certainly unintentional), Mother Talzin might have actually helped him achieve this goal. As the _Sea Falcon_ was pulled into the maelstrom, it managed to stay upright, sailing around the circle in an endless loop... 

_On a collision course with the Admiral’s flagship._

“Finn, I’m gonna do something crazy,” Poe shouted, trying to make his voice heard above the roaring water below them and the rumbling thunder overhead. 

“What?” Finn cried. He was getting ready to order the _Sea Falcon’s_ crew to fire their first round of cannonballs at the Admiral’s ship. Poe admired the brashness behind that action; if they were trapped in this maelstrom with the enemy, they might as well fire their weapons and get this battle started. Except, Poe needed Finn to hold off on that volley just a little longer. 

“The Admiral’s probably distracted and panicking right now,” Poe said, attempting to explain what he was about to do. 

“Which we should be too!” Finn fired back. “We’re in the middle of a bloody whirlpool in the ocean, with the worst thunderstorm I’ve ever seen brewing overhead!”

Poe ignored that. “It’s the perfect time to board his ship and try to steal the heart. If I can stab it, this battle could be over before we have to fire a single cannon.”

“You’re absolutely mad!” Finn yelled at him, but Poe just grinned. Not because he really felt like grinning (quite the opposite, actually). But just because he wanted Finn to keep up his courage. In case he didn’t make it back, he wanted to be remembered as a fearless, daring pirate who never surrendered in the face of a challenge. 

“I’ll be right back!” he assured Finn, even though they both knew he had no power to keep that promise. 

***

The _Sea Falcon_ and the Admiral’s flagship (which was named the _Supremacy_ , borrowing the name of Brendol’s son’s old ship, just to taunt them) were far enough apart that it was difficult for either party to try to board the other’s ship in the middle of the maelstrom. 

_The Equalizer_ wasn’t that lucky. 

As the ship was yanked into the violent whirlpool, the _Equalizer_ collided with a Royal Navy vessel ominously dubbed the _Red Sunrise_. Even though Ben could tell the Royal Navy officers were all terrified of the situation they’d found themselves in, they still feared the Admiral more than this storm, and they began boarding the _Equalizer_ , their cutlasses drawn. 

Without even needing to communicate their plan to each other, Ben and Rey planted their feet on the deck, brandished their cutlasses, and fought back to back as their ship was invaded. They were both soaking wet from the pounding rain and the ocean spray, and Rey eventually tossed off her hat, finding that it just got in the way. 

Ben discovered that fighting was easier if he just didn’t think about the horror of it all and simply followed his instincts, parrying blow after blow. He was now incredibly grateful for the fencing lessons his uncle had made him take — more than Luke would ever have realized back then. Today he fought like a man possessed — not particularly concerned for his own safety, but rather doing whatever he could to keep Rey out of harm’s way. He had no idea what was going on with the _Sea Falcon_ or any of the other pirate ships. He just kept fighting, as wave after wave of Royal Navy reinforcements forced their way onto the _Equalizer_. 

There was no time to talk about the fact that the pirates were losing. They were skilled fighters, but the Admiral was simply overwhelming them with numbers. Soon, Ben suffered his first injury — a slash across the chest that, even though it was only a shallow cut, burned like fire. He heard Rey cry out, and his heart crumbled within him as he saw she’d taken a knife wound to the arm. 

“I’m sorry, Rey!” he shouted above the chaos of the battle. He wasn’t even sure exactly what he was apologizing for; just all of it, really. That they were probably about to die, that he couldn’t protect her, and that he hadn’t been able to give her the happily ever after she deserved…

He let himself risk a few seconds of distraction, taking his eyes off the battle and turning to look at Rey instead. He found she’d done the same, and despite the sweat, rain, and trickle of blood running down her face, her eyes were shining with hope and love as she looked at him. 

“Marry me, Benjamin Swann,” she said, and Ben had to take a moment before he could reply, fighting off an advance from a Royal Navy officer shouting expletives at him. 

“Of course I will — if we survive this,” he shouted back, and Rey shook her head. 

“No, I mean right now — marry me _right now_.”

“What?” Ben wasn’t sure if she’d gone crazy, or maybe he had, and was hallucinating this whole thing. “I don’t think now is the best time.”

“But this may be the only time,” Rey insisted. “If this is our last moment together on earth, then I want to spend it pledging myself to you.”

“But...but…” Despite the absolute daftness of this idea, Ben wanted to say yes. Why the hell shouldn’t they get married, as the world fell apart around them? 

“Hux can marry us,” Rey said, anticipating his next question. “He was a captain in the Royal Navy, and has the authority perform a marriage ceremony.”

Ben felt a warm glow of light and happiness that he had no right to feel in such a dire situation, and he finally grinned as wide as Rey was. 

“Hux, come here!” he called out, and his best friend glanced towards him, looking puzzled. 

“I’m a little busy!” Hux exclaimed, punching the man who was trying to run him through with a sword and sending the other man sprawling on his backside. 

“We need you to marry us!” Rey said, and Hux stared at her as if she’d suddenly grown a set of face tentacles just like Davy Jones. 

“Now?” he exclaimed. 

“Now!” Rey replied. “It doesn’t have to be fancy...we just want it to be official.”

“Well, why bloody not?” Hux asked, throwing up his hands in a gesture of resignation. Ben realized this might be the first time he’d heard his friend curse. Hux had more than earned the right to swear a little after all he’d been through recently. 

As the _Equalizer_ sailed over a particularly choppy wave, several of the Royal Navy officers charging towards them lost their footing. It gave the pirates a brief moment of respite, and Ben and Rey were ready to seize it. 

They faced each other on the deck, and Hux stood in front of them, clearing his throat and wiping the rain from his eyes. 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” he started, then shook his head. “Never mind, we don’t have time for all that. Rey Turner, do you take this man to be your husband, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?”

“I do!” Rey said, before swinging around and calling out for her crew to release a round of cannonfire at the _Red Sunrise_.

“And Benjamin Swann,” Hux continued, “do you take this woman to be your wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?”

Ben stared into Rey’s green-brown eyes, completely losing himself inside them. He loved her so much he felt like his heart couldn’t contain it; all that love was going to spill over, and he was ready to let it consume him. He’d never meant two words more than when he told her “I do.”

“And now, by the power invested in me as a commodore,” Hux continued, then quickly added, “well, former commodore of the British Navy — let’s not quibble over the details — I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss…”

His voice trailed off as he had to pause the ceremony and fight off one of the soldiers from the _Red Sunrise_. 

“You may kiss…” he tried again, then was interrupted by another attacker. 

“You may kiss…” he started for the third time, then found himself surrounded by soldiers and finally gave up on the ceremony’s formal phrasing. “Oh, just bloody kiss already!”

They didn’t really have time for a kiss, but Ben wasn’t going to miss this moment. He pulled Rey towards him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her, clinging to her as though he was a drowning man and she was the liferaft that had been tossed into the waves to save him. 

For a few precious seconds, the world around them seemed to stop, and they couldn’t hear the clamor of battle or feel the freezing rain. Ben stopped being afraid, and stopped worrying about what would happen after they had to release each other from this embrace. The love he felt for her transcended all of that; out of everything that had gone wrong in his life, and all the mistakes he’d made, this beautiful, fierce, powerful woman loved him enough to marry him in the middle of a battle in the heart of a maelstrom. And right now, he was content. No matter what happened, this was enough.

***

Poe landed on the deck of the _Supremacy_ , in the middle of a situation so chaotic the ship’s crew didn’t even seem to notice they’d been boarded by a pirate. Poe took advantage of the panicked disorder around him and headed straight for the captain’s quarters. He knew better than to just barge through the front door, which was still being guarded by two water-logged and very terrified-looking guards. 

Instead, he sneaked around the port side of the deck, then used the hilt of his sword to smash the window and climb into the Admiral’s office. 

As captain of a ship during a battle, Poe always liked to be part of the action. Not that he relished the thought of potentially dying; he just didn’t want to be the sort of leader who cowered in his cabin while the rest of his crew risked their lives. 

Although Admiral Brendol Hux wasn’t exactly cowering, Poe noticed he’d carefully positioned himself away from all the fighting. He looked very much like a king holding court behind his desk, gladly allowing his men to risk their lives for him. 

“What a pleasant surprise to run into you here!” Poe remarked, giving the Admiral a mock bow. He couldn’t resist taunting the other man just a little; the Admiral most definitely deserved it. 

“Just what do you hope to accomplish here?” the Admiral asked, each word dripping with venom. If he was afraid, he didn’t show it. The Admiral was the sort of coward who hid his desire for self-preservation under a thick veneer of prideful disdain. “If I call out, my men will come charging in here and cut you down. You have created your own trap.”

“You’re right, they’ll probably kill me...but not before I run you through,” Poe said, pointing his sword at the Admiral’s chest. “And I’m willing to make that my final act on this earth. There are worse legacies to leave.”

“Well, it sounds like neither of us are destined to survive this encounter, which I can’t believe is what you really want,” the Admiral said. “Perhaps you’d find it wiser to bargain with me instead.”


	24. Always and Forever

_**Author’s note: This chapter will include some tense battle scenes and moments, but I promise that everything will work out all right for the characters in the end!** _

Poe didn’t particularly _want_ to bargain with the Admiral. The man deserved to be tossed overboard and sucked into the maelstrom, spending eternity alone surrounded by cold and darkness at the bottom of the sea. Yet Poe had to remind himself that the most important goal here was getting the chest with Davy Jones’ heart inside it — not revenge against the Admiral. And just maybe the Admiral was desperate enough right now to hand the chest over to him without a fight. 

“I really, really hate you,” Poe told the Admiral matter-of-factly. “But you know who I hate even more? Davy Jones. Give me the chest with his heart in it, and I’ll let you go. I’m sure you’ve got a secret hoard of treasure stashed somewhere. Go retire to some uninhabited island, and never bother anyone again.”

“And you think I’d be content with that?” the Admiral replied. “I was born for greater things than just wasting away on some beach. You’re going to have to offer me a better deal than that, Captain Dameron.”

“You weren’t born for greatness, anymore than I was,” Poe fired back. “We’re responsible for forging our own destinies. And you know what? Maybe I don’t always make the best decisions in my life, but I’ve done a bloody better job than you have. You’ve been so obsessed with building this prestigious legacy that you failed the one person on this earth who actually loved you: your son.”

Poe saw the Admiral’s eyes spark with fury, and Poe was more than happy to drive that knife even deeper. He had his own problems with Armitage Hux, but when it came down to it, he actually had some compassion for the man. No one deserved to have a father like the Admiral.

“Don’t talk to me about my worthless excuse for a son,” the Admiral spat, losing some of that annoyingly unflappable calm. “And stop wasting my time by just prattling on. Make me a better offer, or let’s just kill each other and get it over with.”

“If you’re hoping I’ll surrender to your fleet in exchange for the chest, then you’re going to be disappointed,” Poe said. “These pirates are all mad as hell, and they won’t just sail away from a fight because I politely ask them to. I’m not the pirate king; it’s Captain Rey Turner’s job to call for a retreat, and I’m pretty sure she’ll decline to do that. My offer is simple: give me the chest, and I’ll let you live — take it or leave it.”

The Admiral considered his words, and for several very tense moments, Poe wasn’t sure whether he was going to walk out of this room alive or not. Then the Admiral slowly reached into a drawer in his desk and took out a box and opened the lid, revealing Davy Jones’ heart. 

It took all of Poe’s self-control not to charge forward and plunge his dagger directly into the heart. Of course he wanted to end this as soon as possible, but this could still be some kind of trap. He needed the Admiral to hand over the chest himself. 

“Even if I give you the heart and allow you to walk away, you’re probably still going to die today,” the Admiral warned, and Poe shrugged. 

“Maybe.” The Admiral didn’t know that the second the heart was stabbed, the maelstrom would stop because Mother Talzin would be transported back to the World Between Worlds. The pirates would still have to fight the Admiral’s fleet, but that was a threat they could manage. 

The Admiral stood up from the desk, picked up the chest, and stretched out his arms to Poe. Poe stepped forward, and as soon as his hands touched the wooden box he felt a sharp, searing pain in his side.

_The bastard had stabbed him!_ Poe staggered back, pressing his hand to the wound the Admiral had just dealt him. He hurt like hell, and he was lucky the dagger hadn’t gone deeper. He’d live, but only if he didn’t give the Admiral an opening to stab him again. 

His first instinct was to reach for the dagger and stab the Admiral right back, but he didn’t want to use it and risk disrupting the magic spell the Son had cast over the weapon. He needed this dagger to kill Jones and stop Mother Talzin. Instead, he tried to pull out his cutlass, but the Admiral was charging towards him again, holding up a knife dripping with Poe’s blood. 

Poe scrambled backwards as quickly as possible, but he stumbled over a crate on the floor and fell over, leaving himself completely exposed to the Admiral’s next blow. 

“Goodbye, Captain,” the Admiral said, and Poe could do nothing but stare upwards as the knife came plunging towards him.

Except the Admiral never got a chance to complete the motion. He let out a gasp of surprise as a sword drove straight into his back, cutting through his heart and out of the other side of his chest. 

Poe gaped at the Admiral in confusion, trying to understand what was happening, as the Admiral collapsed on his knees and then crumpled to the floor, dead as soon as his head hit the deck.

Poe looked up and almost cried with relief as he saw his first mate Finn standing over the Admiral’s body, holding the sword that had stabbed the Admiral just in time. 

“Finn, you saved my life,” Poe said in wonder. “How did…”

“I followed you,” Finn explained. “Because I was worried you’d try something stupid and daring and get yourself into a scrape you couldn’t get yourself back out of.” He reached his hand down and helped Poe to his feet. 

Poe swore as he stood, clutching the wound in his side. The room seemed to spin around him, and he found himself feeling very woozy. He was in no condition to charge back into battle, but he didn’t have time to rest. He ripped the scarf off his neck, and Finn helped him wrap the scarf around his middle, at least somewhat slowing the blood flow. 

He held onto the chest as if the world depended on it — because quite literally, it did. He should probably stab the heart right now and just get it over with, but the finality of that decision suddenly hit him, and he was overwhelmed by the responsibility he was about to take on. 

Because it had to be him, didn’t it? He wasn’t going to make any of his crew members give up their life and spend eternity in the World Between Worlds. He was their captain, and it was his duty. Even if it meant giving up the _Sea Falcon_ , his life as a pirate, and — worst of all — Finn. 

Maybe it was foolish and reckless, but he wanted to see his ship and speak to his crew one more time before he stabbed the heart. He needed to say goodbye. 

“Let’s get back to the _Sea Falcon_ ,” he told Finn, and his first mate nodded. He didn’t have to explain what he was planning; Finn had already guessed, evidenced by the tears in his eyes as he realized that Poe was leaving him forever. 

But Finn didn’t try to talk him out of it, because he knew the stakes of the situation they were in. He just held Poe a little tighter, supporting his captain as they made their way out of the Admiral’s quarters, preparing for the final sacrifice.

***

Ben wondered what his mother and his uncle would think when they found out he’d gotten married on board a pirate ship in the middle of a battle against the Royal Navy. To a woman — now officially, wonderfully his wife — who was captain of said ship and the pirate king. He feared his uncle might faint, but he could picture his mother giving him a wry smile. She’d fallen in love with a lovable rogue of her own — his father — and he had a feeling that as long as her son was happy, she’d be happy for him. 

And Ben _was_ happy. He didn’t know how long it would last, because he was now certain they wouldn’t walk away from this battle. He would have to hold onto that small glimmer of happiness as tightly as he could, for as long as he could. 

The _Red Sunrise_ had taken a lot of damage, both from the maelstrom swirling beneath them and from the _Equalizer’s_ cannons, but the _Equalizer_ had taken a lot of damage too.

“I think we’re gonna have to abandon ship,” Ben shouted to Rey, but it was already too late for that. Ben felt the ship shudder beneath them, and then a rising mass of tentacles exploded from the water, the kraken wrapping itself around the ship. 

Ben heard screams all around him as the giant black tentacles slammed onto the deck, crushing pirates and Royal Navy soldiers alike. The kraken’s attack was not precise enough to avoid harming its master’s supposed allies; the creature was determined to bring the ship down, regardless of who was on it. 

“Bloody hell,” Hux exclaimed. Now that he’d cursed once in public, he didn’t appear to have any qualms about it. “This is it.”

“Fire everything we have!” Rey commanded, not because she believed it would actually help, but because her crew needed something to do to distract them from their terror and despair. No matter how bravely they fought, the pirates had no weapons that could defeat a sea monster. 

Ben watched numbly as the _Equalizer’s_ cannons all fired in unison, to absolutely no effect. It didn’t even seem to make the kraken angry, and Ben wondered if the sea monster even noticed it was being attacked. The creature probably didn’t want to hurt them; it was a slave to Davy Jones, just as Jones was a slave to the Admiral. It was never meant to be here, and probably longed for freedom as much as the pirates it was currently attacking. 

He waited for the kraken to constrict its tentacles, squeezing the _Equalizer_ into splinters, but the blow never came. Instead, the kraken just held them in its deadly embrace, as Davy Jones materialized in front of them on the deck. 

“Get off my ship!” Rey growled, and Ben admired the wild bravery in the way she brandished her sword at Jones, a man they all knew she couldn’t actually kill.

Davy Jones laughed, a bubbly, watery sound that made Ben feel like he was drowning. “Your ship? Soon, it will belong to the bottom of the ocean — just as you will.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Rey insisted. “You think you’re this powerful, unstoppable force, but you’re just one of the Admiral’s many lackeys.”

“Perhaps I was, but no longer,” Jones smiled, and Ben felt an uncomfortable shiver crawling across his skin. “The Admiral is dead.”

“What?” Rey said, vocalizing what they were all feeling. They’d come here to stop the Admiral, so his defeat should be good news…but Ben definitely didn’t like the way Jones was grinning at them, like a predator about to pounce on its prey. If the Admiral was dead, why was Jones still here? Where was the heart?

“It was Dameron’s first mate,” Jones said. “Did what I wanted to do myself — but couldn’t — and offed the Admiral. And after I kill all of you, I’ll go sink the _Sea Falcon,_ and get my heart back.”

“No!” Rey charged at him, before Ben could stop her. Her sword clashed against Jones’, and despite the fury of her attack, he didn’t look the slightest bit concerned. He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it until she cried out in agony and dropped her sword, sending it clattering to the deck. He tossed her aside, and her head hit the railing of the ship with a sickening thud. She collapsed on the ground and lay absolutely still. 

“No!” Ben screamed, frantic terror blossoming inside his chest. Although he could see that Rey was still breathing, he knew Jones wasn’t going to just leave her lying there. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to stop Jones from hurting her again; he just knew that he was going to give everything he had — even his life, if needed — to keep Jones away from the woman he loved. 

Jones studied Ben for a moment, his lips turning upwards in an ugly sneer. “And just what do you plan to do about it? The privileged, pampered nephew of a governor? Your lover here is the real pirate, not you.”

Ben gripped the hilt of his sword, his hands shaking with both fear and anger. It wasn’t fear for himself; he’d lost any sense of self-preservation the second Jones put his hands on Rey. He simply feared whatever he was going to do would not be enough to save her. “Maybe I’m not a real pirate, but I don’t have to be in order to stand up to a bully like you. I’ll die before I let you touch her again.”

Rey stirred slightly, blinking her eyes blearily as she tried to lift her head. “Ben, no…don’t…” She was struggling to speak, and Ben worried that Jones had given her a concussion. “Don’t challenge him. He’s too…”

But Ben had no intention of backing down now. At the moment, all of Davy Jones’ attention was focused on him, rather than Rey. Ben wanted to keep it that way as long as possible, to give Rey a chance to get back on her feet and hopefully escape. 

Davy Jones laughed again, and Ben had never hated a sound more. “What’s the point of this little demonstration, when you know I’m going to kill both of you anyway?”

“Don’t you...dare...touch...Ben,” Rey rasped out, her voice painfully scratchy, as if every word hurt. 

“This man means a lot to you, doesn’t he, Rey Turner?” Davy Jones asked her. “What a pitiful love story: the sad excuse for a pirate king and the man so obsessed with her that he’ll allow her to lead him to his own grave.”

“Kill me…leave him,” Rey tried to bargain. “I’m the pirate king. Kill me, and everyone else will surrender. You can rule the seas, do whatever you want. Just…let him live…please.”

Davy Jones mocked her by pretending to thoughtfully rub his chin and consider her offer. “I suppose I could do that. He’s not a leader, like you and Dameron are. His death gains me nothing. Still...I’ve spent many long years suffering, and I’m keen to make some of you mortals do the—”

“Don’t do it, Jones!”

Somehow, Poe Dameron and Finn had abruptly appeared on the deck of the _Equalizer_. How had they gotten here? Was Dameron actually holding the chest with Jones’ heart in it? 

Ben took his eyes off Davy Jones for just a second, his heart lifting as he saw that Finn was kneeling down to help the injured Rey. Poe continued to shout insults at Jones, in an attempt to draw his focus away from the more vulnerable Rey and Ben and onto himself. 

Ben opened his mouth to call out to Rey, to tell her that he was coming to her, when Davy Jones slammed into him, driving his sword through Ben’s chest.

***

Rey screamed. 

She barely felt Finn’s arms wrapping around her as he pulled her to her feet. He was trying to hold onto her, to comfort her, but she was having none of it. She broke free of his grasp and then immediately fell back down on the deck, her legs collapsing underneath her. 

Her injuries had drained most of her strength, but right now, her will was stronger than her body. She crawled, inch by painful inch, over towards Ben, who had slumped on the deck after Davy Jones yanked out his sword. 

Rey didn’t care that Jones was towering over her right now, and that he could easily drive that sword through her. All she could think about was Ben, her heart shattering in a way that could never be pieced back together if this was indeed the moment she lost him. 

She was vaguely aware of Poe’s sword clashing against Jones’, as Poe tried to distract Jones and give Rey a moment with Ben. The deck of the ship was so slippery with rain and ocean spray that Rey found it almost impossible to push herself up into a sitting position. But she made herself do it, pulling Ben onto her lap. 

She forced herself to look at Ben’s wound, and a strangled sob caught in her throat. This was no surface-level cut that she could simply wrap with a bandage. Jones had known just where to point his sword to deliver Ben a lethal wound.

Ben stared up at her as she cradled his head in her lap, his deep brown eyes glassy and unfocused. He was gasping for breath, and Rey felt streams of tears running down her cheeks as she watched his life slipping away. 

“Rey, I…I…” He was trying to tell her something, reaching up his hand to caress her cheek, but neither his voice nor his limbs were cooperating. Instead, Rey bent down until their faces were only inches apart, and she lifted his hand and pressed it to her face for him. 

“Don’t leave me, Ben,” she begged. “You’ll be all right. I’ll find a way to patch you up. I’ll make sure you get better…”

Her voice broke and she held him tighter, as if as long as she kept him in her arms, he couldn’t leave her. 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” he said. “I don’t want to go, but I have…I have…”

His breaths were coming in short, rattling bursts, and he grimaced in pain. “I love you, Rey,” he said, with the last bit of strength left inside him. “Always and forever. Meeting you, loving you…it...it was all worth it. I’d rather have one moment with you than a full life alone. I love…”

Ben’s hand slipped from hers, and then he was gone.

***

Poe knew he couldn’t kill Jones, and that any wound he dealt the other man would probably just regenerate, in the same way Jones’ crew members had when they’d been injured on Isla Cruces. But that didn’t mean Poe couldn’t at least try to slow Jones down. 

He hammered Jones’ sword with a ferocity that seemed to actually unsettle the powerful immortal. He tried to convince himself that the blow Jones had dealt Benjamin Swann wasn’t that bad — just a slight gash, like the many cuts currently marking Poe’s arms. Rey would fix him up and everything would be all right. 

Jones was a skilled swordsman, but Poe was lighter on his feet, and he managed to work past Jones’ defenses and slice off the other man’s sword arm. Jones bellowed, stumbling backwards, and Poe rammed into him as hard as he could, shoving him over the railing into the maelstrom. He didn’t doubt that Jones would be back, crawling his way up the side of the ship with those ugly clawed fingers of his, but at least he was gone for now.

Poe turned back towards his friends, just in time to watch Rey as she clutched Ben’s head to her chest, sobbing. 

Poe didn’t have to examine the wound closer to know that Ben was dying. The young man had only seconds left, and Rey looked as if she was losing not just the man she loved, but a part of her very self. 

Poe felt helpless as he stood there numbly, his sword in one hand and the chest with Jones’ heart in the other. A voice in his head urged him to stab the heart before Jones got back up on the deck, and end this madness. But as he watched Ben’s eyes glaze over and heard Rey screaming with grief and rage, Poe had a flash of inspiration. 

He didn’t have time to think through this plan, or what the broader implications would be. He dropped to his knees beside Ben, popping open the lid of the chest and exposing the heart. He didn’t think Rey was even aware he was there, so consumed was she by her anguish. Poe saw Davy Jones starting to climb back over the ship’s railing, his eyes burning with rage, and Poe realized he had to stop deliberating and just act. 

He pulled out the dagger the Son had given him, but instead of directly stabbing the heart, he placed the weapon in Ben’s hands, closing the dying man’s fingers around the hilt of the blade. 

Poe didn’t fully know what he was doing, but he believed this was the only option they had right now to save Ben — a desperate chance that might not even work. He grabbed Ben’s fist and guided it and the dagger towards Jones’ heart. 

Ben slumped over in Rey’s arms, the last of his life force fading, and Rey let out such a raw scream of agony that Poe felt his own heart breaking. 

He heard Jones screaming in rage as well, but he didn’t bloody care about that. Jones was getting exactly what he deserved. His unnaturally preserved body was finally stripped of its immortality, and all the years of his too-long life rushed to catch up with him. His body began to shrivel in on itself, eventually exploding in a cloud of dust as his body fell back into the maelstrom, his ashes scattered across the waves. 

Freed from its bondage to Jones, the kraken immediately let go of the _Equalizer_ and dived towards the ocean depths, fleeing from its cruel master. Poe doubted the creature would ever be spotted again; it was going home, where it belonged. 

Poe looked back at the dagger stuck in the center of Jones’ disintegrating heart and saw the weapon was pulsing with a strange red light. The green lightning in the sky turned to angry bolts of red energy as the magic took effect, and the wind ripped around Poe so violently that the force of it drove him to his knees. He grabbed onto Rey and they held each other as the wind screamed around them, sounding eerily like the voice of Mother Talzin. 

_Please spare us,_ Poe prayed, hoping the Son or one of the other Guardians could hear him. He knew the magic was working, because Jones was dead and the dagger was glowing. Still, he had no guarantee that Finn, Rey, and the rest of his friends wouldn’t end up as collateral damage amidst the chaos. As for Ben, he remained lying motionless on the deck, while Rey continued to sob over his lifeless body. And in this moment, Poe realized he would trade away the _Sea Falcon_ itself if it could bring Ben back. 

_Please, let him live…_

***

The Son had spent thousands of years watching departed souls enter the World Between Worlds and then pass into the afterlife. He’d become somewhat callused to it over the years, finding it to be an inevitable part of a mortal’s all-too-brief lifecycle. 

But the death of Benjamin Swann…well, that _had_ moved him. 

From his throne in the World Between Worlds, he’d watched Jones stab Ben, then felt the panicked grief consuming Rey Turner, drowning her in its unforgiving flood. Witnessing her pain had ignited a part of him he thought he’d let go of long ago…

_Compassion._

Whatever he had for a heart actually hurt for Rey Turner and Benjamin Swann, and their doomed love story. Although he didn’t usually care about the exploits of mortals, figuring they all got what they deserved in the end, he didn’t believe that Rey and Ben deserved this.

He felt compelled to do something — a very odd sensation for him — but he didn’t know what. Ben had stabbed Jones’ heart right before he died, which was supposed to make him the new shepherd of souls in the World Between Worlds, taking Jones’ place. Yet technically, Ben had only stabbed the heart because Poe had stuck the dagger in his hand and moved the weapon for him. Ben hadn’t fully consented to this role, and he was already entering the World Between Worlds as a departed soul himself, ready to pass into the afterlife. 

How should the magic within the World Between Worlds be applied in a situation like this? The Son had a feeling the other Guardians might argue that Ben should be allowed to simply pass in peace, but that was just it — Ben wasn’t at peace. He’d been yanked away from the mortal world too soon, and the deep bond he shared with Rey was a tether not easily broken. 

Ben wasn’t ready to die, and the Son realized he wasn’t ready to let him. The rules of magic be damned — Mother Talzin had broken them often enough for her own selfish purposes. Why should the Son not bend the rules just a little, to help someone else? 

He would never admit it, but he’d also been moved by Poe’s choice to give up his own shot at immortality by allowing Ben to stab the heart instead. Maybe the Son’s typical disdain for mortals wasn’t always founded. Sometimes, they were capable of great acts that could shift even the stony will of a Guardian. 

Poe had done everything the Son had tasked him with, risking his own life in the process. The Son was going to do him a favor by making that sacrifice worth it.

***

Ben felt himself sinking into what felt like a warm, smothering blanket of darkness. He wasn’t panicked, but it was disconcerting. 

Was this really what it felt like to die? He was grateful the pain from the wound in his chest was gone, but he wanted to fight against this falling sensation so he could get back to Rey. 

Right before he’d died, he’d watched Poe stab the heart…or had Poe helped _him_ stab the heart? He wasn’t sure, and maybe in the end it didn’t matter. If Jones was gone, and the Admiral was gone, then Rey was safe. He could die in peace knowing that. 

As he sank down, down, down on his journey to the World Between Worlds, he felt a gentle breeze on his face, and then something — no, someone: a being of pure light — took hold of his hand.

“Where am I going?” he asked, and though he couldn’t actually see the creature’s face, he could sense it smiling. 

“Back, Benjamin Swann.” The voice was vaguely masculine, and though there was a cold hardness to it, he also sensed empathy. “You’re going back. That is, if you want to.”

“I do.” Ben felt his heart constrict as he remembered saying those same words to Rey, in a very different context. It was during their mid-battle wedding, an event that now felt like a lifetime ago. “I...I want to go back. I didn’t know it was possible.”

“There is a cost to be paid,” the being explained. “And you might think it steep — some might say too steep. But if you agree, I will return you to Rey.”

He explained the terms of his bargain to Ben, and Ben realized the creature’s statement was correct: the cost _was_ steep. Yet he was more than willing to pay it.

“Send me back to her,” he said, and he sensed the being smiling.

“Very well. You might want to brace yourself, Ben — resurrection is a rather exacting experience.” 

*** 

Poe watched in both terror and awe as a yawning portal opened up in the sky above them, revealing a swirling void filled with stars. The Son had definitely made good on his promise: the magic in the dagger had officially opened a portal to the World Between Worlds, and whether she was willing or not, Mother Talzin was about to be forcibly returned home. 

As the wind continued to shriek, Poe felt an icy essence sweep past him, as if some malevolent spirit was being exorcised from the world. He was glad he wouldn’t have to witness the inevitable confrontation when Mother Talzin found herself face to face with the other Guardians in the World Between Worlds; he doubted it would be pleasant. 

A deafening clap of thunder shook the _Equalizer_ , and then just as abruptly as the maelstrom had developed, the ocean quieted. The portal closed, the storm clouds vanished, and all the fighting stopped. The Royal Navy officers all dropped their weapons and began surrendering peacefully to the pirates. 

Poe would later learn that Leia and her brother Luke had started an underground resistance movement within the Royal Navy, encouraging soldiers to turn against the despotic Admiral. As soon as the storm cleared up and the soldiers could see what was happening, they gladly laid down their arms. 

Poe should have felt relief, jumping to his feet and dancing around the deck with Finn, celebrating their victory. They were free — finally, truly free. The Admiral, Davy Jones, and Mother Talzin were gone, and the world could finally return to normal. Balance had been restored. 

But it was still not quite right, because one member of Poe’s crew wasn’t here to join the celebration. He’d hoped that when he’d made Ben stab the heart, the young man would immediately come back to life, all his wounds healed. Yet Ben was still gone, and Rey refused to be consoled, not even caring that the battle was over.

Despite their past disagreements, Poe didn’t want to live in a world without Benjamin Swann. Rey shouldn’t be miserable on the same day that she’d defeated the greatest threat the Caribbean had ever faced, as the pirate king and captain of her own ship. 

_Please, let him live…_ He prayed that line over and over and over, till it became an all-consuming chant running through his mind. 

So consuming, in fact, that it took him several seconds to recognize what was happening when Ben abruptly sat straight up and clutched his chest, gasping for breath. 

“Ben?” Rey seemed to believe that she was hallucinating, afraid to let herself accept that Ben was back. As Ben turned towards her, his brown eyes welling with emotion and relief, Rey reached out a trembling hand to brush her fingers across his face. 

“I thought you were...were...gone,” she choked, and Ben cupped her face in his hands, staring back into her eyes. Poe found himself looking away, suddenly feeling that this was too intimate a moment to have observers. 

“I was,” he told her, his voice still a bit raw. Poe was honestly surprised someone who’d literally come back from the dead didn’t appear more rattled by the experience. “Someone — I think it was one of the Guardians — sent me back. Back to you.”

Rey’s eyes overflowed with tears, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Ben’s neck, pulling him closer to her. She couldn’t stop sobbing, but instead of tears of anguish, these were tears of joy. 

_Thank you,_ Poe said. He had a feeling he owed the Son for this unexpected twist of fate. 

Now that Ben was back, he felt like he actually could celebrate their victory. He grabbed Finn and they hugged each other, laughing and crying. Rose and Hux were also hugging — and were they actually kissing? 

_Good for them,_ Poe thought, a huge grin splitting his face. Everyone here deserved some happiness after the hell they’d been through. The darkness had finally passed, and they could greet the sunrise with hope in their hearts. 


End file.
